The Renegade Rip Vol. 83 No. 6

Teacher Rally, News, Page 4

3D Arcade, Reviews, Page 7

Softball, Sports, Page 10

The Renegade Rip Bakersfield College

w w w.t h e r i p .com

Vol. 83 ∙ No. 6

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Bookstore to get new manager

Five SGA members leave office

By Mateo M. Melero

By Brian N. Willhite

Reporter

Reporter

The decision of who the Kern Community College District will outsource management responsibilities of the bookstore to will be made during KCCD’s board meeting April 14.

According to Greg Chamberlain, president of Bakersfield College, the chief financial officer will choose one of the two vendors that are being considered.

“At Thursday’s board meeting, there is an agenda item that would allow the chief business officer to outsource to either of the two vendors that were the final bids and that was Barnes & Noble and Follet,” Chamberlain said.

A new management firm will not change the bookstore, according to Chamberlain, and will only assume duties of management and operations.

“We’re still going to have a bookstore, it’s still going to be on campus, the proceeds of the bookstore will still come in to the college for use of the same things we use the bookstore proceeds for,” he said.

Also, in looking at comparisons and tables, Chamberlain believes that overall costs of textbooks to the students will be lower.

Should the district’s CFO choose a vendor, according to Chamberlain, the change in management could take a couple of months and that “it would be a matter of contracts and negotiations with the final vendor,” Chamberlain said. He also believes that new management will be in place prior to the start of the fall term.

An excerpt from the agenda for the April 14 board meeting describing the merger reads, “… the acquisition of the exclusive right to operate bookstores at the District in return for estimated payment to the District of between $3.9 million and $4.3 million, primarily based on sales volume, which would be payable over the five year term to commence no earlier than April 1, 2011 through March 31, 2016.

Please see Bookstore, Page 4

Kayla Boradhag / The Rip

Members of the Bakersfield College SIFE team and director Gayle Richardson (top left corner) hold a meeting at the Espresso Cafe on March 31. They gathered to discuss plans for the “Race to Fight Hunger” event.

BC students gain business savvy running a Race To Fight Hunger

By Tyler McGinty Reporter

You’re eating lunch in a crowded restaurant. You overhear two high-powered executives talking about a meeting with the “London people.” This wouldn’t seem out of place in Wall Street, or even in Los Angeles. It also wouldn’t seem out of place in the Bakersfield College cafeteria, as long as members of Students in Free Enterprise were around.

“One of our focuses is small business. We help them to develop a business plan, and we can help them with marketing,” said SIFE co-president Brittney Clemons. “So we’re helping them, and helping ourselves by learning the various aspects.”

Every year, the students take what they’ve learned and make a presentation about their projects. They compete with other schools on a different theme.

This year, the theme is the triple bottom line: people, planet and profit.

They have a 25-minute presentation and five-minute question period in front of the judges.

Then, they present a report detailing whom they helped, how it effected the planet, and how it made a profit.

“It’s like the presentation is our good looks, our project is our personality, and our details are our mind.

So we’re like one perfect person,” said DiGayle Richardson e r d r e Dakdduk about their presentation.

On March 14, BC’s SIFE chapter took their project and presentation to the regional competition where they won second place.

“There were a lot of highprofile schools like OSU, Pepperdine, USC, both CalPolys,”

said Clemons.

BC’s second place finish in the regional competition, which earned them a spot in the national competition on May 10 in Minneapolis.

The project SIFE just worked on was the Race to Fight Hunger, which was held April 10 at the Kern River Parkway. It consisted of a 5k run and a health resource fair.

The students of SIFE teamed up with Community Action Partnership of Kern Food Bank to raise 5,000 pounds of canned food and raise awareness about Kern County’s hunger issue.

“They say a not-for-profit is harder, because you’re not really offering a product or a service, you’re just asking for money,” said Clemons.

The Race to Fight Hunger is actually part of a competition between schools all over North America, where schools pledge to raise the 5,000 pounds of canned food, and then are judged on how they accomplished it.

But like many actual businesses, SIFE has more than one project running at the same time. Clemons and Dakdduk are also members of a Britishrun project, although they are on competing teams.

This project, called the Prime Minister Initiative, has three teams: one is entirely British schools, one is entirely Californian schools and one is a mix.

Each team has six schools, each with its own specialty such as agriculture or business.

These teams have to take an agricultural product from their area, create a unique dish using it, and then market this dish.

The teams will travel to London in June to compete and make their presentations against a notoriously difficult panel of judges in competition against other schools in the PMI. To inquire about joining SIFE, seek out Gayle Richardson, an accounting and personal finance professor. Maybe you can be the one overheard talking about “London people.”

As of April 1, the Bakersfield College Student Government Association will be operating without its Vice President Brian Rathfelder, Legislative Liaison Katrina Oldershaw, General Counsel Sean Hill, and senators Gilbert Hernandez and Theresa Hall.

According to sources, grievances were filed against SGA officers and the outcome of these accusations has resulted in resignations of five of its officials.

Dean of students and SGA adviser Joyce Coleman had no comment on as to what events caused the loss in the SGA officials.

“I am not at liberty to respond to [the] questions as [they] relates to specific students. This would be a violation of federal, state, district and college laws, guidelines and procedures,” said Coleman.

Concerning his resignation, Hill said, “I’ve wanted to resign since the beginning of the semester. That job just consumes your life, leaving very little [time] for the outside world. Now I have all the time in the world to spend with my daughter. I love it.

You can’t put a price on quality time.”

Oldershaw said concerning her resignation, “I don’t really want to talk about the situation … I’ve already lost my job and I don’t want anything else to happen.”

During the April 1 SGA meeting, Secretary Toccara Byrd read the resignation letters of Rathfelder, Oldershaw, Hall and Hernandez.

“To Whom It May Concern, I hereby resign from my position as legislative liaison. I have sincerely enjoyed this past year and will always be glad that I got to spend time with such an amazing group of people,” read Oldershaw’s letter.

“However, I feel that with the previous circumstances my work environment has become too stressful for me to handle. I will try to devote my time at Bakersfield College toward my studies and graduation.”

Rathfelder’s letter held a Please see SGA, Page 4

BC DSPS takes large budget cut

By Mateo M. Melero Reporter

With a department funding decrease of 41 percent in the 20092010 fiscal year, the Bakersfield College Disabled Student Programs and Services Department is adapting to its new budget and services outsourcing, as well working with Maintenance and Operations to secure disability accessibility around the main campus.

DSPS director Angelica Gomez spoke on the changes and their outlining effects to the department and its services.

“It led to changes that included testing accommodations now being administrated through the assessment center, the courtesy

cart service now being under public safety and moving DSPS from its original location, which was in the FACE building, to its current location in the Counseling Center,” she said.

Along with the outsourcing of services to other BC departments, DSPS saw the loss of its Memorandum of Understanding, its Learning Disabilities Specialists and the relocation of counselor Skip Hill.

Entering the 2010-2011 fiscal year, the changes to the department, as well as the funding decrease, still remain imposed upon the department, but the need for disabled accommodations by students is on the rise.

According to the Oct. 13, 2010, DSPS advisory committee

Joseph Cota / The Rip

The accessibility lift on the stairs of the student services building is scheduled to be repaired and upgraded. minutes, which outlines the bulk of the current funding concerns, department changes and priorities, it states that there has been a 42 percent increase from 200510 in the number of students requiring DSPS services.

“Although DSPS continues to be in the red, ultimately the college is responsible in providing the accommodations to students with disabilities,” said Gomez.

“The allocation alone does not

meet the needs of DSPS students on this campus.”

With receiving the new allocations in March, that still hold the 41 percent fund decrease, Gomez pushed for additional funding from BC in attempt to keep the department applicable to students.

“Given that DSPS cannot live within the means as it has been directed, the college’s general Please see DSPS, Page 4

Joseph Cota / The Rip

The elevator in the LA building is currently inoperable.

Features

Page 2

The Renegade Rip www.therip.com

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Giving BC a touch of class

By Amber T. Troupe Reporter

The Bakersfield College wine and food festival held its fourth annual event to showcase BC’s culinary students as well as provide a serene social environment for wine tasters.

Adriana Selenas and Genie Navarro are employed at the BC Foundation and are both a part of the Kern County Latina Leaders. That is how they heard about the gathering.

“This is our first time attending this and the food is wonderful with a wide selection of wines from across California. It is turning out to be a very low-key social environment,” Selenas said.

Navarro discussed how she enjoyed it and would bring more people to next year’s event.

“I will definitely tell more people about [the event] and encourage them to attend. I would attend again. I like the way they have it set up. We took a break from tasting the wines for food and then we’re going to go back again,” Navarro stated.

This year’s decor had to be altered due to the threat of rain. The festivities are usually held outdoors in front of the gym, but this year the festival occupied the huddle area in the gym where the food was spread out in an organized manner.

Guests were charged an entrance fee of $50 in advance and $60 at the door. This included unlimited food and wine tasting as well as light enter-

tainment from the BC Jazz Ensemble.

The BC cheerleading squad, in full cheerleading attire, escorted the guests from their vehicles to the door.

Mike Stepanovich, the executive director of the BC Foundation, was the organizer of this event. He had contacts from previously hosting the wine tasting event at Cal State Bakersfield that he brought over to BC. Stepanovich explained how many state wineries were present at the event’s fourth annual expo.

“There is a total of 61 wineries from all across California in attendance tonight,” Stepanovich stated.

The majority of the wineries present are long-time attendees like Hope Valley Wine, who has volunteered for this wine tasting ceremony every year the event has been held at BC. Kristen Lane has been working for Hope Valley Wines for the six years and this would make it her third time attending the wine and food festival.

“I have been volunteering for this tasting event since it began. I come from Porterville to showcase the wine we have. The wines are already here and they just send me over here to offer the wine at our booth,” Lane said.

This year’s attendance equaled up to 400 people compared to last year’s roster of a little over 500 guests. Hannah Egland the donor relations’ coordinator at BC was at the forefront of creating this gala.

“Mike Stepanovich has all the winery contacts from before, but I handle all the organizing and preparing for

Joseph cota / The Rip

Wine enthusiasts from left Tonya Razo and Nichole Almengor toast with representative Kristen Lane from Hope Family Vineyards at the Red & White Wine & Food festival at Bakersfield College’s gym April 8. this event,” Egland explained.

“It started out as just a wine tasting fundraiser and it expanded to become this large wine and food festival which gives our culinary students a chance to advertise their skills,” said Egland.

Jana Fidler-Wiggers, the culinary arts department’s teacher’s assistant has been catering this event since its conception.

“We all coordinate the menu and set up together myself, chef Davis and chef Coil. Each year finger foods are the choice and the culinary cooks are required to do this event as part of their grade.”

The event lasted past the scheduled time at 7 p.m., as guests were still socializing and enjoying the events’ calm environment, wine and finger foods.

joseph cota / The Rip

On display at the Red & White Wine & Food festival are various makes of wine from the Riboli Family Wine Estates and San Antonio Winery.

Exhibit shows art by students

By Keith Kaczmarek Reporter

The Wylie and May Louise James Gallery is currently holding the Bakersfield College Art Student Exhibit 2011, a presentation of student works from BC art classes.

During the reception, giant birds made out of paper mache littered the front of the Grace Van Dyke Library and Transformers made from cardboard were presented in the foyer.

For Adel Shafik, a professor in digital arts, the experience was positive.

“It’s good for them to get their work in a gallery, and it encourages [them] to also take pride in their work,” he said.

Some of the works in the show were from an assignment he had given his students that had them make a postage stamp depicting a local landmark.

One notable example of this assignment modeled Dagny’s Coffee Company, The students whose work was displayed came from a range of experience levels.

For example, Sarah Talon, a student at BC for two years and responsible for a wild green bird sitting in one of the trees in front of the library, had several pieces in last year’s show as well, while new student Debbie Korhonen also had a giant bird head piece displayed.

Also of note were several chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.

One of the artists, Heather Guerriero, created a chandelier made from steel and draping lace with working lights for her sculpture class.

Digital art was also strongly represented. Chris L. Hendrickson’s piece “Steampowered” was made by taking 85 photos of mechanical devices and pieces

Renegade Rip wins several awards at JACC conference

Joseph Cota / The Rip

David Contreras, a student at Bakersfield College, admires the work on display at the BC library April 7. of metal found on campus and layering them “like a puzzle” over an image of a fellow student.

That created the illusion of a steam-punk future scene.

“It’s good experience for art majors to apply for shows,” said Laura Borneman, an associate professor who teaches advanced and beginning drawing. “I want to work with [my students] on photographing

their work for shows.”

There was an outside juror, Joey Kotting, a full-time lecturer at Cal State Bakersfield and director/curator of the CSUB Todd Madison Gallery.

He lectures on etching, screen printing, photography, painting, and gallery production.

“The show is flavored by that personal taste,” Borneman said, commenting on the selections that made it into the show.

Bakersfield College’s student newspaper, The Renegade Rip, earned general excellence for the 14th year in a row during the Journalism Association of Community Colleges state conference April 7-9 in Sacramento.

The Rip’s online publication also won general excellence and has earned that award every year since going online in the early 2000s.

To earn general excellence, publications must meet a certain points criteria based on the quality of content, page design, photography, artwork, editing and ethics. Professional journalists judge all contests.

The contests consist of two areas: mail-in and on-the-spot.

In the mail-in categories, work published in the spring and fall semesters of 2010 may be submitted. In the on-the-spot competition, students enter various competitions at the conference.

In the on-the-spot competition, BC’s Chrystal Fortt placed third for broadcast newswriting.

Michael Morrow earned an hon-

orable mention in the same category.

Greg Cook won honorable mentions in sports and news photo. Brian Willhite won an honorable mention for feature story.

In mail-in competition, BC’s Samantha Garrett won three awards for cartooning and illustrations. She took third and fourth place for magazine illustration and fourth place for editorial cartoon.

Willhite placed third for magazine non-profile feature with a story about water issues in the Central Valley, and David Karnowski and Denise Gonzalez placed third for magazine photo-story essay. Katie Avery was awarded an honorable mention for magazine opinion.

The Rip staff also was one of only 11 colleges that earned an award for enterprise story/series, which consists of extensive coverage of one topic. Judges chose The Rip’s coverage of the Bakersfield Business Conference as one of the winners.

Garden Fest educates about agriculture with fun

By Monica Bolger Reporter

Nathan Wilson / The Rip

This grass sculpture of a hummingbird shows how artistic gardeners can get, April 9.

The Bakersfield College Horticulture Department hosted its sixth year of Garden Fest on April 9 at Horticulture Renegade Park.

It was an eventful day that brought crowds of people to see different booths and free seminars featured

by BC staff and public organizations that was put on to provide the public with environmentally friendly ideas of agriculture education.

Live jazz music sung by “the lounge guy,” Roger Martin and the smell of barbecued ribs, cooked by BC’s Culinary Department, set the scene for attending guests.

BC’s Childcare Department, greenhouses and related Agriculture Services, provided free giveaway products and materials for gardening and kitchen attire.

The agriculture booths included raffling and selling different plants, from edible cherry tomatoes and strawberries, advertised by the Green Thumb Garden Club, to different types of native and indigenous shrubs and orchids displayed by the Orchid

Society and Green Leaf Hydroponics.

BC horticulture technician and Garden Fest organizer Sally Sterns was among the crowd occupying the greenhouses.

Sterns said, “this is a perfect way to show people what BC has to offer from our Agriculture Department and there’s plenty here for the kids. We have the bounce houses in the back and there’s plenty more for everyone to see.”

According to Sterns, the funds made by each group at Garden Fest go toward financially supporting their organization on campus.

Among the bounce houses was a Ben and Jerry’s stand that provided sweet treats for children and adults to eat as they strolled around the area.

Multi-colored koi fish were available for adoption in kiddie pools next to the greenhouses of many different shapes and sizes.

Arts and crafts, organic foods and eco friendly hybrid automobiles were also exhibited for advertisement and purchase at appropriate costs.

Sterns’ was more than satisfied by turnout of students and families

that attended Garden Fest. “I’m very impressed with how great it turned out. This year we had a larger crowd and better attendance than last year. I’m very pleased,” said Sterns.

BC’s drum line made a musical entrance as they paraded through the garden adding to the festival’s entertainment.

“The drummers were very convenient for us and they sounded great,” said Sterns. “Roger Mar-

tin on the mic was also big hit with our audience; he normally sings at the Padre once a week.”

As the festival proceeded through the evening, channel 29 and 23 arrived to record the activities.

“That’s a first for us having the television stations here,” said Sterns. “That’s never happened before. As for next year, I’d like to see more RVs for our outdoor recreation.”

Features

Page 3

The Renegade Rip www.therip.com

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Citizens unite to beautify the community

By Cristal Rodriguez Reporter

There were many people of all ages dressed in orange shirts cleaning the community and making a difference around town on April 9.

“The Great American Cleanup is always a great way to get involved and encourage the kids to do a little community service,” said Lisa Contreras, a volunteer along with her three children.

This year the Great American Cleanup was held at Yokuts Park from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. This event was hosted by the mayor of Bakersfield, Harvey Hall, along with Jessica Felix who is the organizer of Keeping Bakersfield Beautiful.

This event is yearly and ev-

eryone is welcome to participate. Although this event is eight hours, it is only mandatory to do at least two.

“After your group or team was done cleaning, everyone had to meet up at the park for all the other things that were scheduled,” said Michael Gary, volunteer.

Aside from everyone forming groups and going around Bakersfield to clean, much more was going on at Yokuts Park.

To the left of the park, they had bounce houses, games, and competitions for the children.

Timothy Collins, 6, whose group went around cleaning graffiti, said, “I won all the times on sack racing. This is very fun and in the morning I had to paint the bad stuff off the walls with

my dad.”

Near the center of the park, they had Starbucks giving away coffee or hot chocolate to all the volunteers and people who came out.

There was also a food area for everyone to grab a burger or a hot dog.

“I love participating in this event. Makes me very happy to see all the people that come and help out our Bakersfield,” said Alfredo Cruz, who was helping cook the food.

The stage was also at the center of the park where all the organizers and volunteers got together after lunch and spoke about the importance of keeping Bakersfield clean and Earth Day. To the right of the park, there was an informational booth and

a white tent where so much was going on with students and families.

There were job offerings, available scholarships, entertainment, free stuff and art.

Many high schools participated in the cleanup and had much of their art entered in the contests.

Some schools that participated at the event were Bakersfield High, West High, Golden Valley High, Independence High and Frontier High.

“Students from high schools around the city were asked to put together a sculpture representing some way to help the earth or some things that can destroy it,” said Brian Rodriguez, a teacher at West High School.

There were many different

sculptures created by individuals and teams from the high schools.

The students used paper plates, bottle caps, newspaper, license plates, plastic bottles and cardboard paper to put their work together.

“These teens are so talented and creative,” said Kathleen Acosta, who attended the cleanup. “Just walking around and looking at the globes, little cities, fishes, robots, horses and everything they made makes me so proud.”

There were also many booths set up inside the tent to talk about things to do to improve the earth.

They were also talking about jobs, had games and were giving away trees and plants for children and families who wanted

them.

“I had a lot of fun. I learned to never litter and if I see someone I know litter, I will make them pick up it up and throw it away because it adds up,” said Jasmin Banuelos, a coordinator of Career Beginnings at Cal State Bakersfield.

“It’s also a great experience for the kids in our program and they get credit for being out here and enjoying all this stuff going on.”

Organizer Jessica Felix said, “I would like to thank everyone who came out. There was much more participation this year. I am very happy with the event and I love how everyone is helping and enjoying their selves and doing their part to keep Bakersfield beautiful.”

Using the sun to power education

By Brian N. Willhite Reporter

megan luecke / The Rip

A lunch-time rush keeps the Blood Mobile full, as students donate their time and blood during the BC blood drive March 31. Houchin Community Blood Bank brought two mobile blood laboratories to BC for the event.

Blood drive shows giving spirit

By Cristal Rodriguez Reporter

There were many Renegades anxious and willing to donate blood and save lives on March 31 during the annual blood drive held at Bakersfield College.

“We never know who might need a blood transfusion, so it’s good to donate just in case it might be a family member,” said BC student Miguel Lenares.

The Houchin Community Blood Bank had many of their staff located in the Fireside Room at BC. There were a few things that needed to be done before donating. The first step was signing up and filling out the appropriate papers, then they had to get their blood tested to see if there was anything that would not allow them to donate.

“All of these people are very

nice and thankful that we are willing to donate. It’s an incredible feeling,” said Jackie Carillo, student.

After everything was clear, they were sent to the bus that was set up outside the Renegade Bookstore for the donations.

“I love donating blood. I know it’s needed, and I love the thought of helping people out,” added Marcus Henry, student.

Every school year, blood drives are held during the spring semester. This blood drive was held from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.

“It was a great turnout. We had about 200 students donate,” said Tawntannisha Thompson, Student Government Association activities liaison.

“When it comes to donating blood there are things to consider,” said Richard Villanueva, one of BC’s senators. “This blood drive is a great way to help out the community. I like

getting involved because I like how people are so giving and are willing to donate their blood for the safety of others without wanting anything in return.”

According to Houchin, in order to donate blood you have to be at least 18 years of age or 16 with parents consent and you must weigh 110 pounds.

Also, you must wait one year to donate after getting a tattoo or body piercing and, most important, your body cannot be low on iron and free from diseases.

There were a lot of students who wanted to donate but couldn’t because of the fact that their body didn’t have sufficient iron.

“I wanted to donate so bad, but I couldn’t because I have low iron,” said Thompson.

Donating blood is important because the community needs as much blood as possible, especially the rare types.

“From what I hear, my blood type is really needed, so whenever there’s the chance for me to donate, I’m up for it,” said Kevin Williams, student.

During the blood drive held on campus, anyone was welcome to donate.

“Anyone can donate, not just BC students and staff. As long as your 18 and have a picture I.D. This event is open to the public because we want to have as much donations as possible,” said Thompson.

As mentioned before, there are blood drives held every year for those who didn’t get the chance.

“I want to thank everyone who donated because you all saved many lives. You should all feel proud of yourselves knowing what you have done.

We never know what can happen, so it’s good to be prepared.

So thank you all for your donations,” said Thompson.

Photographer Brendan Bannon donates photography to students

By Chrystal Fortt Reporter

Photographer Brendan Bannon and journalist Mike Pflanz are working on a photojournalism project called Daily Dispatches, based in Nairobi, Kenya to create connections across the world and give students a unique learning opportunity.

Until 30, they plan to produce a photo essay everyday on a different subject in Nairobi and send it to select colleges to print the photo essays and display them on campus.

Lee Ibarra, a photography student at BC, is in charge of printing the photo essays every day and finding a place to display them.

Printing the panel is a quick process for Ibarra and not very costly for the school.

“All we have to pay for is the ink and prints,” said Ibarra.

“He [Bannon] sends them already pre-laid out for us just to print, he’s put a lot of time into

it and we’ve been doing test images at the beginning of the month and test prints to make sure everything looks good.

We’ve been in co-operation with him, he’s basically laid it all out for us,” said Ibarra.

The printing is easy for Ibarra but finding a place is a little more difficult.

Right now the photo essays are in the glass display in the hallway of the Fine Arts building in between rooms nine and 10.

However, there won’t be enough space for all the panels, each photo essay is about 16 x 22 inches and Bannon sends one to three panels a day for each photo essay.

Another downside to the panels being in the Fine Arts building is that many students don’t get to see the panels.

“I just want to put the panels in a place where students can interact with it because I think it’s a great project and the images are just amazing. Mike does a really good job writing,

I enjoy reading the stories everyday,” said Ibarra.

For the schools who don’t receive the photo essays on campus or students who do or don’t see them in the FA building and have questions about the photo essays, they can visit Daily Dispatch websites at www.dailydispatches.com.

Bannon and Pflanz have a blog that is updated consistently.

It has the same information as the printed panels but the advantage of the Daily Dispatches blog, Twitter, and Facebook is that anyone can go on the sites and ask questions and Bannon or Pflanz will respond promptly.

“The main idea I want to get out and he [Bannon] wants to get out to the students is that it’s for you guys, this project is for the students and only for the students,” said Ibarra.

Bannon and Pflanz want students to log on their websites and interact with them. They also encourage students to ask

questions about anything, from photography, to the subject or culture.

“They want to know that people are enjoying what they’re doing and all their work isn’t going to waste.

“Getting good feedback really boosts them, especially because they’re doing it everyday, they need that. They also want to know what’s working and what’s not working,” said Ibarra.

Bannon and Pflanz also want the photo essays to be used by the instructors to give out assignments or spark debates in the classrooms.

Not all colleges get to have this project donated to their campus.

Buffalo State College and St. Bonaventure University are the two colleges beside BC to receive the donations.

“I’m proud and excited that our school and students have the chance to interact and be a part of this project,” said Ibarra.

Harnessing the power of the sun is not just a gimmick in a science -fiction story for some club members at Bakersfield College. With a few cardboard boxes, foil and retro flare for do-it-yourself ingenuity, the students of BC’s geology club are building solar ovens as a learning experience for how the sun’s energy can be used.

Geology professor Natalie Bursztyn had suggested the idea of building solar ovens as a way of understanding how solar energy can be used in a practical manner.

The completed projects will then be featured in a contest during Spring Fling. The contest is also open to any student that wishes to participate.

“The project started as an idea based on BC getting the solar photovoltaic carport, said Bursztyn.

“So, what sort of campus-wide project could the geology club do to highlight the cool, new carport system that we have?”

Bursztyn found a Web site that offers free schematics on how to build various types of solar ovens, which mostly consist of cardboard and some type of reflective material such as foil.

Some students participating have even found unique and relatively cost-free materials to construct their solar ovens.

“Some of their solar ovens are literally made out of a recycled pizza box. So, if you can pull a recycled pizza box out of your trash after an earthquake hits, than you

can cook food with it. It’s a really good way of survival without electricity,” Bursztyn said.

Geology club member Aric Davilla also found the solar oven project to be beneficial and practical as a learning tool.

“It’s a really good experience to build something that’s actually usable out of everyday items, which can be used for other purposes,” said Davilla.

Davilla has built his solar oven out of a post office box and an Eggo Waffle box, which he used for an inner oven section. He also added a wire hangar, some string, glue and a lot of foil.

Geology club president Jess Richardson discussed how important the project is as a way to enrich one’s life personally as well.

“In light of the recent disaster in Japan, a lot of this becomes a lot more real than just building things out of household objects,” said Richardson.

“Working on becoming more autonomous is something that everyone should do and this is just one specific example that we’d like to share with everyone on campus.”

The contest will take place on the Thursday of Spring Fling.

Bursztyn hopes that many students will enter a project into the contest and show off their skills in harnessing solar energy.

The contest will also feature a ’70s decor to coincide with Spring Fling’s flashback theme. The first place award will win a tie-dyed Tshirt and other winners will win a geology-themed prize.

Forestry expert shares ‘humbling’ Iraq experiences

By Tyler McGinty Reporter

The Society of American Foresters had its biannual meeting with Bakersfield College on April 7 to welcome Dr. Art Gaffrey as he spoke about his rebuilding efforts in Iraq and also to give out a scholarship to one of the student members of the SAF. From October 2008 to November 2010, Gaffrey traveled in the Al Anbar province of Iraq as part of a provincial reconstruction team, or PRT. Gaffrey specifically helped build the agricultural infrastructure as he led a team consisting of a veterinarian, a crop scientist, a soil scientist and a specialist in herd animals, as well as a team of soldiers that he called his “everpresent protection.”

“It was a humbling experience to see these young marines, soldiers, sailors, and airmen walking with you and would literally put themselves in harm’s way for you,” said Gaffrey.

Gaffrey and his team worked in an area that used to be one of the biggest producers of wheat in the area but is now a desert. They helped the area by bringing in tractors, greenhouses and better irrigation systems. They also taught the

people how to properly take care of their animals and herds. Gaffrey mentioned that many of the dairy cows were malnourished, and before he left he saw a definite improvement in the animals’ health.

The people Gaffrey’s team lent aid to were sometimes punished by other Iraqis for accepting American help and some of the more conservative citizens wouldn’t accept help from them at all. One of the farmers they helped was attacked with artillery fire almost immediately after Gaffrey’s team left.

However, the people of Al Anbar seemed grateful for the help no matter the danger. When the governor of the province met with Admiral Mullen, who was in charge of Gaffrey’s project, the governor’s first words were, “thank you for sending the agriculture specialists.”

Before Dr. Gaffrey began his presentation, the SAF presented Jeana Wallace with a $500 scholarship that is exclusively for BC. To win the scholarship, Wallace had written an essay describing her career goals in forestry. She will be leaving in the summer to attend Humboldt State University to major in forestry and natural resources.

News

Page 4

The Renegade Rip www.therip.com

News Briefs E-waste collection Bakersfield College is holding an electronic waste collection event on April 15 and 16 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the southeast stadium parking lot at the corner of Mt. Vernon and University.

At no cost, BC will accept all items that can be plugged into a wall ranging from anything like home computers and televisions to small electronic devices like cellular phones and other portable devices.

They will also accept car batteries and rechargeable batteries. They will not accept large appliances, fluorescent bulbs, or lead batteries. No BC or KCCD equipment should be recycled.

BC Library closed during spring break The BC library will be open April 16 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and then close for the remainder of spring break. The Library’s e-book collection and periodical databases will be available to all students throughout the closure. Students may access these databases through any Internet connection using their BC ID number (without the @ symbol).

Nursing open house All pre-RN and pre-VN students are invited to attend the Nursing Open House on April 13, at 5:30 p.m. in the Fireside Room.

Representatives will be available to answer your questions regarding application, admission, and eligibility to the Nursing program.

Bedlam at Sam Lynn Ballpark The Gaslight Theatre is presenting Bedlam at Sam Lynn Ballpark from April 8th to 30th. Call (661) 587-3377 for reservations.

Japanese nationals feel disaster’s effects

By Michael Wafford Editor in chief

Japan was struck by an 8.9 earthquake and tsunamis on March 11. Since then, the Fukishima nuclear reactor has began to leak.

In response, Bakersfield College has been working to aid both Japan and students at BC affected by the disasters.

International student counselor Shoreh Rahman has established a foreign students-help emergency fund.

While a few hundred dollars have been donated to the fund, according to Rahman, a majority of the support from faculty has come in different ways.

“There are a couple faculty

who have [donated] more than just money. Faculty have sent letters supporting students along with providing them food and shelter,” she said.

Rahman went on to say that students dealing with a crisis in their country of origin could add stress to a student’s life.

“When a crisis happens in the home country of a student it causes enormous emotional stress for students,” she said.

“It’s really, really hard for them.

It’s hard for them to study, their immigration status could be affected, their financial situation gets affected. It definitely affects the whole person.”

Rahman said that when a crisis happens in an international student’s country of origin, the first

thing to do is make sure they will be able to continue their education in the United States, Also around campus, the Bakersfield College Republican club has organized a bake sale for the relief effort.

Not just students have been impacted by the string of disasters in Japan. BC Japanese professor Yuri Sakamaki was emotionally affected by the disasters, comparing it to an earthquake she experienced firsthand while in Japan herself.

“I was in Osaka when a big earthquake in Kobe happened in 1994,” Sakamaki said. “The earthquake this time is said to be 1,000 times stronger than the one in Kobe. I just can’t imagine how scary things must have been.

Teachers rally locals to support

By Michael Wafford Editor in chief

By Brian N. Willhite Reporter

In a show of solidarity, teachers, administrators and supporters for Kern County’s educational system wore red as they rallied together to promote awareness for Gov. Brown’s budget initiative in hopes to avoid losing educational funding.

Brad Barnes, president of the Bakersfield Elementary Teachers Association, led the curbside rally in front of the Bakersfield City Courthouse March 29.

The rally featured educators speaking out against legislators for not supporting public education funding as they urged the public to contact their representatives to support the budget initiative.

“We’re rallying today to encourage the Governor and our folks in Sacramento to pass a budget that extends the current revenue structure,” Barnes said.

“Republicans in Sacramento

Reporter

Two weeks ago, a campus alert about car thefts was sent to students in response to three car thefts that happened on that single day.

All Honda Accords, this rash of thefts constituted “unusual circumstances,” according to Sgt. Chris Counts of Public Safety and prompted the sending of an e-mail alert to students.

“The administration takes it seriously and wanted to get it out to students to keep them prepared,” he said.

According to Counts, BC had 13 car thefts in 2007, 17 in 2008, and 13 in 2009, along with a number of break-ins.

To put this in perspective, BC has 3,591 parking spots and 121 stalls for the disabled, according to Paula Bray, manager for maintenance and operations.

Public Safety suggests that anyone parking on campus should not leave out items in plain view in their cars that might make tempting targets for thieves.

They should also be careful to set their car alarms and not leave windows even slightly open.

Gregory D. Cook / The Rip

Kern County teachers and their supporters display signs showing concern over possible cuts in the state education budget at a rally held at Liberty Bell Plaza on March 29. want an ‘all cuts’ solution. Education has taken cuts for four years in a row and we’re pretty bare bones now and if we have another all cuts solution we’re gonna lose another $5 billion and that’s going to lead to closing more classrooms.

“The proposal now extends the current tax structure which adds $9 billion of the $25 billion shortfall but without extending the current tax structure, those taxes expire and then the state revenue drops another $9 billion.”

As the unified voices of those in attendance shouted “NO MORE CUTS,” passing motorists honked in support of the rallying educators as they waved

signs promoting their cause.

Pam Baugher, trustee from Bakersfield City, recalls on her 40 years of experience as a Kern County educator as she addressed the crowd about the severity of educational funding for California schools and the need to be proactive.

“I’ve seen times when money’s been good and when money’s been bad but it’s never been as bad as it is for public education today and it is my concern that the legislators, particularly our local ones, are refusing to give us - as voters - the opportunity to decide whether we want to extend the taxes and support public education better than what we’re doing right now,” Baugher said.

They should also alert Public Safety if they witness any unusual activity, or call 911 if it is an emergency.

According to the Bakersfield Police Department’s Crime Statistics Unit, Honda Accords are one of the most common vehicles to be stolen in Bakersfield.

Pick-ups of various models are the second most common.

When asked about how Public Safety is addressing this issue, Counts said that they perform “proactive patrols to keep down thefts and break-ins,” but noted that “first and foremost is the safety of staff, students, and oth-

ers on campus.”

Amber Chiang, director of marketing and public relations for BC, said that statistics for campus crime were recorded as required by the Clery Act. The list of crimes covered by the recording aspects of the Act includes car thefts, but it is unclear if this particular crime meets the standard required by the reporting aspects of the Act. Chiang noted that the warning about car thefts on campus also served to keep students from becoming “comfortable and complacent” about potential crime on campus.

DSPS: Working through budget cuts Continued from Page 1 funds are being used to supplement the shortage,” said Gomez.

In addition to providing adaptive educational services, DSPS, along with now resigned Student Government Association Vice President Brian Rathfelder, sought to bring supportive services to BC club meetings and SGA-sanctioned events.

“SGA club events requiring accommodations for students to participate in cannot be financially supported through DSPS categorical funds,” said Gomez.

The American Sign Language interpreters required to fulfill these requests will cost the school $75 per hour, with a two-hour minimum. If the event exceeds two hours, then a team of two interpreters is required.

Prior to his resignation, Rathfelder spoke on the mechanics of the request.

“Bringing the accommodations for SGA sanctioned events,

I’ve gotten with our activities liaison and we’re going to be putting [a notification] on the bottom of our advertisements, regarding if people need accommodations for these events, who to get in contact with, as well as communicating that with the activities board, which are all the club representatives,” said Rathfelder.

“The main focus is getting those accommodations out to those students in a timely fashion. That is the ultimate goal regardless of the cost of it.”

Students are encouraged by Rathfelder to give a two-week notice in advance of each event.

DSPS plans for upgrading, repairing and renovating handicap accessibility are also underway.

Working with Maintenance and Operations Manager Paula E. Bray, DSPS is currently in the process of upgrading and repairing the elevators, porch and stair lifts around campus.

“There is something fundamentally unnerving about the ground you are standing on shaking. You feel helpless because there is nowhere you can escape to.”

While Sakami is concerned for the safety of those in Japan, some residents of the country affected are more optimistic.

Miyuki Tsukada, of Keio University in Kanagawa, contacted through Facebook, said, “I wasn’t harmed at all by the earthquake and neither were many of the people around me. We are more into caring and helping the people who were actually harmed, than we are fearful that at anytime another big earthquake can hit Tokyo. “ Tsukada also said that the

concerns over radiation are not having much of an impact on the way day-to-day business occurs in Japan.

“The radiation flowing in the air so far doesn’t damage our health, so we still go out and hang out with our friends,” said Tsukada. “However, I do feel that there used to be more people in the subways. Some people care about being affected, which we don’t, and don’t come outside.

“It’s pretty sad that everyone in the world now thinks that Japan is a dangerous country that no one really wants to visit. Because that is not true, Tokyo is totally fine. The earthquake hit the northern area of Japan, not where the politics and economy take its place.”

Holding hands at BC and across the valley

Campus car theft alert for students

By Keith Kaczmarek

Wednesday, April 13 2011

The elevator inside the Language Arts building has been inoperable for the majority of the 2011 spring semester and Maintenance and Operations has been working to get it functioning again.

“We began having problems early last semester,” said Bray.

“On the first day of spring semester, it died and we could not get it going again.”

“There are a number of issues and right now we are moving forward,” said Bray. “We have just recently completed some work on the fire alarm system upgrade that was required in order to bring the elevator up to code.

“One of the big problems that occurred was that we were concerned about some asbestos that they were going to need to go through.”

A specialized company was contracted to deal with the material and the work has been completed, and the elevator is

expected to be operational by the end of April.

The elevators located in Student Services and the MS buildings are also scheduled for upgrades and repairs.

“There are no problems right now in either of those elevators,” said Bray. “They both function just fine, but they do need to be upgraded to meet new code, and because of this, we’re trying to finish the LA elevator, then we will be moving forward with Math Sciences and Student Services.”

The stair lifts located in and around the Science and Engineering, Language Arts and Student Services buildings are currently inoperable and scheduled to be removed. The lift inside the SAM building is operable and will stay during the building’s renovation.

Infrared sensors and automated sliding doors, according to Bray and the DSPS advisory committee, will be installed.

In preparation for Hands Across California, the Bakersfield College Student Government Association held a rally to inform students of the upcoming event on April 4.

Around 80 students joined hands to demonstrate what the event will look like on April 17.

The event is attempting to create a $100 million endowment for California Community Colleges. The chain will form a large C due to certain schools choosing not to participate in the hand holding.

Some schools not participating are still able to fund raise for the cause. “There are some colleges, who unfortunately, could not be directly on the route so they’re doing their own local versions of Hands Across California,” said Jill Scofield, director of public relations at Foundation for California Community Colleges.

Scofield also said that other rallies, such as the one on BC’s campus, were held at other community colleges throughout the state.

According to Scofield, the chain will cover 1,000 miles and require “approximately” one million people to complete.

“Even if they’re not in the line these local events happening at colleges throughout those peo-

ple are standing up for community colleges,” said Scofield.

There are problems covering 1,000 miles, though, according to Scofield. “Now we may see areas where it’s difficult to connect people across the entire landscape or connect at certain points.

“It’s not going to go across any freeway or major thoroughfares. Just because that’s a safety hazard, we’re avoiding that as much as possible following frontage roads or residential streets so that the impact on traffic will be insignificant and so that the safety of those participating is key.”

UPS will be helping with logistics, according to Scofield.

UPS will also place trucks at locations around California during the day of the event to inform people of where to assemble.

Roger Sanchez, SGA liaison to the dean and Hands Across California representative for BC organized the rally.

Sanchez said SGA has been asking businesses and churches around Bakersfield for support to help complete their part of the human chain.

SGA is also looking for 50 marshals to instruct people during the hand-holding event.

“It will be a pretty tremendous outpouring of support. In fact we anticipate it will be the largest fundraiser in higher education history,” said Scofield.

SGA: Five officers get replaced Continued from Page 1 similar theme as it was read.

“To the members of the senate, it has come to unfortunate circumstances in my life where I need to tender my resignation as your student body vice president,” read the letter.

Rathfelder’s went on to add that, “I am extremely confident in the remaining and incoming leadership that there will be an adequate turnover in SGA administration.”

Rathfelder’s letter went on to assure that he would be available for advice outside of SGA. Xenos Lopez, who was a senator, will resume on the council as the new vice president until the end of the spring semester, and Derrick Kenner will assume the responsibilities of general counsel.

At the meeting, Activities Liaison Tawntannisha Thompson applauded the replacements for the vacated positions.

“It is a great way for him to learn the ropes and get in there, foot first,” she said, referring to Kenner. “Xenos Lopez is a good senator. He is proven, he is our new trustee for the

Kern County Community College District, so I think it will be a good opportunity for him also.”

Hernandez, who elected in early March as the vice president for next school year, will not fill that position for the upcoming academic school year.

According to Thompson, a new vice president will be appointed.

Lopez will resume the responsibilities of vice president for the remainder of the spring semester, and Kenner will hold the office of general counsel from now until next school year.

According to Coleman, all projects where the resigned members were involved will not be affected by the turnover.

“The Renegade Pantry will continue to provide services to students. Last week’s distribution worked without problems,” said Coleman. “MAPS has three SGA leaders who colead the group.”

Concerning SGA’s ability to function with five experienced officials gone, Coleman said, “Yes, the SGA will continue to provide services to students.”

Bookstore: Changes in store Continued from Page 1 The proposals include guaranteed payment levels of between $600,000 and $540,000 per year to the District.”

According to sources, Bill Norris, the former bookstore

manager, no longer has the position and has been temporarily replaced by Jennifer Caughron for six weeks. She will be assuming the responsibilities and handling textbook orders for the summer and fall terms.

Campus

Page 5

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

The Renegade Rip www.therip.com

Career Day shows job opportunities

By Kevin Foster Reporter

There were 54 businesses on display on April 6 in the Campus Center at Bakersfield College.

“We have around 54 businesses, that’s a little low but with the economy the way it is, I can’t be too shocked about it,” said Work Ability III Coordinator Denise Crawford.

Work Ability is located on campus and is specifically for disabled students who are involved with the Department of Rehabilitation.

Crawford talked about the economy playing a part in the kind of business.

“We have Big 5 Sporting Goods and that’s the only retail store. The lack of Target and stores like that tell me that the economy isn’t turned around yet,” said Crawford.

The businesses ranged from fast food companies, such as Pizza Hut and Panda Express, to universities such as Fresno Pacific and National University.

Most of the booths had applications on hand or a website to go to and were

Women get involved in the fight for total social equality

By Monica Bolger Reporter

Seven female spokespeople appeared in the Fireside Room on March 30 for a panel discussion of “Women Taking Action.”

Women spoke on behalf of their involvement with politics, government and volunteerism, and the goals they have for Kern County’s future.

Norma Rojas-Mora, special projects and Supportive Services program manager for the Kern County Housing Authority and president of Latina Leaders of Kern County, was the first speaker to address what she looks for in Bakersfield’s future.

“I’d like to see gender discrimination come to an end in our work environment. I’ve had to face times where I was the only woman working with all men, and they looked down at me for being a woman. It’d be nice if we could put a stop to this for our future and make people aware of what is fair and what isn’t,” said Mora.

accepting resumes on the spot.

National University spokesmen Steven Herrera talked about the differences between National and the University of Phoenix.

“People sometimes confuse us with University of Phoenix but the main differences are that we are non-profit, we are about 40%-50% cheaper and that National is the second largest private school in California behind Stanford,” Herrera said.

There were a few different radio and television companies in the Fireside room.

KUZZ had a booth with a sign from the music director on how to get into radio.

The sign talked about getting started in broadcasting schools and that people should ask about an internship at their local radio stations.

My45 had a booth looking for a parttime Master Control Board Operator.

“A Master Control Board Operator is someone who makes sure the programs get on at a certain time. For example if Family Guy is scheduled for six then

Nathan Wilson / The Rip

Robert Charles and Beverly McKenzie talk to students about the opportunities and benefits of working for the Kern County Mental Health Department during Career Day on April 6. your job is to make sure it starts exactly at six,” Manager Joe Abiecunas said.

American General Media was also offering seven different jobs including on-air positions as well as a Board Operator. AGM is the company that

owns seven different radio stations here in town including: 1180 KERN, 1230 KGEO, 1410 KERI, 94.1 KISV, 93.1 KKXX, 101.5 KGFM and 96.9 KEBT. As students were coming into the Campus Center for career day, there was

a Sheriff’s Deputy car on display with Deputy Logan August on hand to talk about the Sheriff’s Department.

“We have a six-month training academy that is $2,500 to start up to become a deputy,” August said.

Parking a big issue for many students

By Cristal Rodriguez Reporter

Brandon Barraza / The Rip

From left: Olivia Garcia, Barbara Patrick, Camila Chavez, Norma Rojas-Mora, Sue Benham, Julie Jordan Scott, Dee Slade and Kalisha Hudgins pose after the “Women in Action” panel discussion in the Fireside Room on March 30.

Mora is also an active fighter for immigration rights and social freedoms.

Like Mora, Camila Chavez is a social rights activist and is executive director of the Dolores Huerta Foundation, whose mission is to inspire and motivate people to organize sustainable communities and to attain social justice, according to their website.

“As a child I grew up picketing and protesting for labor rights of the farm workers and today as director of the Dolores Huerta Foundation my goal is to see everyone have an opportunity to have clean running water and septic systems running through their houses,” said Chavez.

Former Kern County Supervisor Barbara Patrick is another active contributor to the community and avid supporter of education. “Education is everything. No matter what you do and no matter how hard it may be to finish school, make sure you make it worth it in the end by getting your degree,” said Patrick.

Executive Director of Adobe Krow

Archives and leader of the African American Network of Kern, Dee Slade, offered advice to BC students. “You must educate yourself about your community and do some service work. It may help you focus and increase your knowledge.”

Faith in Action of Kern County leader Kalisha Hudgins agreed that service work is a good way to get involved more in the community. “Community service work is a good way to get you more involved and open to the community, whether it’s a church function or cleaning up trash, donating, or being involved with local charities,” said Hudgins.

Each speaker encouraged the audience to challenge their learning abilities and participate in volunteer work.

“When opportunity knocks, you have to open the door – education is critical,” said Patrick.

Wednesday’s event concluded the last days of Women’s History Month and was sponsored by Friends of Women’s History Month.

With five weeks left this spring semester parking seems to keep frustrating students.

“I see no point in buying a parking pass. I can never find a good spot. It was a waste of money,” said Rachel Pena, student.

There are many parking spots that have been updated throughout the years such as the Panorama parking that now has 745 stalls available for students with permits.

Parking is located all around Bakersfield College and its surrounding areas.

Many students park by Kern Schools bank, others by the park, the apartments, and the Fastrip located on the corner of Mt. Vernon.

“I always park at the same spot everyday. I never bother looking because I’m not going to find anything close so I park at the empty lot by Fastrip,” said Diana Torres, student.

Parking passes at BC cost $35 and this allows students to park basically anywhere on campus except the staff parking stalls for the entire semester and there are also passes for a dollar that can be purchased for just one day.

Although students spend $35, some believe there aren’t any “good” parking spots left.

“I wish I never bought a stupid pass.

I want my money back because I can never find any close parking or sometimes I need to park across the street,” said Richard Cruz, BC student.

On the other hand there are students who have not purchased a permit and are not planning on it.

“I don’t see the point. There are about 18,000 students on campus so why should I buy a pass. I rather just park down the street,” said Irma Cervantes.

BC offers free parking for students who do not want to buy day passes or semester permits. The free parking is located behind the baseball field at Haley and University, and there are 1,104 students’ stalls.

These are the farthest on-campus parking spots available but they are free. “I like the free parking, I never have to worry about getting tickets. Yes, they are pretty far and I have to walk a lot but I see it as good exercise,” said student Brittany Davis.

There are also students who don’t follow the rules and get punished with a $35 fine because they decide to park where permits are needed or in the staff stalls.

“I’m a rebel. I never follow rules. I have gotten three tickets this semester totaling $105 because I parked in staff stalls. But I mean those are always the closest,” said Brian Brown, student.

For the most part BC is trying to do what it can to help with the parking situation.

“We are trying to do our best with the whole parking situation and figure out ways to improve parking,” said BC senator Richard Villanueva In total, there are 3,591 parking spots available and 121 are for disabled students, according to a campus map.

Hollywood magic and forensic science collide in BC’s Fireside Room

By Amber T. Troupe Reporter

Science, forensic research and Hollywood all came together at Bakersfield College in the Fireside Room on March 29, with two of “CSI: Las Vegas’” research team members giving a presentation on the correlation between real and artificial crime scene investigation represented in the TV series.

Students as well as faculty and local news coverage filled the room. There were no open seats available and late arrivers had to stand in the back against the wall or on the floor.

Lesley Castillo, human services and criminal justice major at BC, explained why she attended this “I came to the CSI presentation because I watch the show on TV. It is actually one of my favorite shows, and it was a part of an assignment for Mr. Zoller’s class,” Castillo stated.

The scientific pair set up the overhead projector to give a visual effect to the gruesome but factual roles of their jobs.

Jon Wellner and David Berman are real researchers who play the roles of fake researchers

on the show.

Wellner plays toxicology specialist Henry Andrews and Berman plays assistant coroner David Phillips.

Besides the acting, each researcher has major roles in the creation and portrayal of each graphic murder scenario in every episode.

Both researchers explained that they work out of their homes because it gets them the fastest and best solution to the questions asked by the production team and the storywriters.

They have to find scientific, but possible answers that the show can use and make appear as real as possible to viewers.

The team distinctively discussed the process it takes to make a science-based show real and ready for airing. They cleared up any myths about how such an informational yet entertaining show is really created.

“There are at least 10 full-time writers and 10 full-time researchers behind the making of this forensic focused program. The group then comes up with plot points they’ve outlined, while the writer’s generate the research questions we have to answer,”

Megan Luecke / The Rip

Jon Wellner signs an autograph for Gillian Anteau, a Biology major at BC, after a discussion in the Fireside Room on March 29.

Wellner said.

The actors continue speaking about how they have to make the real science fit into the short time span the show allows as well as make the plot the writers created come alive and logically makes sense.

They explained the amount of time and energy each person involved in the production of each episode has to contribute.

“There are four mythologists who rotate,” Wellner said. “We are only allowed seven prep days in which location scouting is in-

cluded and meeting with special effects coordinators. The total time is nine days and 44 minutes actually being filmed.

“We work four to 10 hours and sometimes 14 to 16 hour days.

There are three editors in rotation and they edit the scenes the day before.

“There is just one day left for all editing to be done before the show airs Thursday nights. CBS, Paramount and Bruckheimer productions have to edit for objectivity, nudity and violence.

Like if there is too much sex or

violence in the episode.”

As the presentation continued, the speakers gave a few examples of the types of questions they have to find answers to, such as the temperature an eyeball melts, which is at 168 degrees Fahrenheit.

Both Berman and Wellner give another example from a previous season.

“I can remember during season two there was an episode where we had to find out how a Zamboni gets rid of the ice that it collects and cleans, which is in three-by-five-by-five foot piles.

We have to estimate the time it takes to look through the ice piles for evidence,” Berman stated.

After their presentation, both guests opened the floor to questions about what they covered as well as for personal questions about their roles.

They did, however, clearly state that one of the main reasons they came to Bakersfield was because they have a longtime relationship with ballistic specialist Greg Laskowski of the Bakersfield Police Department.

“He has been a longtime friend and reference if we needed to ask a specialist questions. He has

been with the BPD for over 30 years. We were brought the idea by our agent, who gives a list of possible places to attend, and we wanted to speak personally when we heard that it would be in Bakersfield,” Wellner stated.

The pair of actors arrived to BC after attending the Kern County Science Fair at Rabobank Arena.

That event and the presentation at BC was coordinated by program manager Rageshwar Goldberg of BC’s Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics program.

The purpose of the STEM program is to show students numerous job opportunities in these fields. The STEM program’s goals are similar to that of the researchers on why they do these types of events.

The other reason for the duo’s appearance on BC’s campus is because Goldberg organized their event through a collaborative grant between Cal State Bakersfield and BC. “We want students to know how important science and math is to this profession and for them to know how important it is to pay attention in school,” Wellner said.

Opinions

Page 6

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

The Renegade Rip www.therip.com

Staff Editorial

Large debt threatens US position The United States national debt is well over $14 trillion, and with Japan being a major holder of our debt and the disaster that unfolded recently, there is a lot of concern about the effects it will have on America.

According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, as of January 2011, the amount of debt held by foreign countries is $4.4 trillion. China owns $1.1 trillion of Treasury securities, Japan is second with nearly $886 billion, and Britain is a distant third with $278 billion. If Japan were to repatriate their assets, what would be the result?

There would no doubt be a huge problem — we have no money and our economy still has yet to fully recover from the economic crisis of 2008.

How would we pay this debt back — more borrowing from China? Please.

This has to be the biggest problem to come out of this whole thing in regard to America.

Now, we should definitely provide as much aid as possible.

There should be no argument to the contrary, as Japan has been one of our best allies in the past, but we should first look at our economic situation and whether or not we could afford to pay back Japan if we need to. The fact is, we couldn’t.

How will this affect the future of our country if we were forced by other world powers to honor our debt? If we were to honor our debt, which we should, it would surely lead to a domino effect of countries repatriating their U.S. Treasury assets. Japan isn’t even the biggest holder of American assets.

What if something major was to happen to China and they were to call in their debt?

This would have a profound effect on our future. There is no way we as American people can believe that our country will stay on top of the world’s political landscape with a debt as high as ours, and with the largest foreign holder of that debt such an influential world leader like China.

From ancient Rome to the British Empire, the world empires have held the top spot for roughly the same amount of time.

America is approaching that time and its downfall, unless we deal with this problem head-on.

It is naive to think that events around the world, like the Japanese tsunami, will not have any consequences on our country with all of the money we owe the other world powers.

The world economy is a house of cards just waiting to collapse; all it takes is one country to go for all the rest to follow. The only possible result would be the fall of the American Empire and the rise of China to the top spot.

Our empire, and you must consider us an empire when you acknowledge the fact that we have military bases in more than 130 countries, is coming to a close — and the catastrophe in Japan might of just helped speed it up.

’G ade Feedback

Put some privacy back in your life

By Brian N. Willhite Reporter

In this day when everything is connected through the Internet, it has become incredibly easy to access just about anything or anyone you want to. With social networking applications like Facebook and Twitter you can even push a button to “checkin” at whatever liquor store or fast food restaurant you are at, as if that’s really important for anyone to know anyway.

But what’s more disturbing is that just about every Web site you visit there is an option to share content on your own personal pages. Though I think this

is a great marketing tool for the site to promote the company, it’s just another way to track everything you’re doing on the Web. The sites you visit and the content in your posts or blogs is tracked and used in a variety of ways. This practice, which I believe is OK because the Internet is an open market environment, is still siphoning the individuality out of everyone on the Web. With the way technology is going, no one will be able to make a first impression anymore because everything we say and do will be associated with us like some sort of resume illuminating our life. Just think of a virtual barcode that brings up

a Google search of everything you’ve ever done on the Web every time your name is brought up.

It used to be that the way you are around your friends and family—in your private life— was intentionally separated from the way you conducted yourself in the public realm, your job, for example. With current and future advances in social networking, your privacy may become a dream instead of reality.

Now, even though most people still attempt to conduct themselves differently in public than in private, they are no longer able to be distinguished because of their personal profiles

letting it all hang out. So you may ask, “what’s wrong with knowing who someone really is?” And, “aren’t we better off being surrounded by the truth?”

The answer is “no.”

In the professional world, you shouldn’t be known for that wild night where you passed out on the table in the bar because you won that drinking contest or because you and your friends pulled off that amazing stunt that just so happened to also damage a lot of public property.

Instead, you should be known for your accomplishments and your ability to be accountable and productive.

Everyone has those moments,

but we don’t need to know about them. Keep it within your circle of drunken friends.

I certainly don’t want to know what my boss or my professor’s pastimes are – unless they are friends of mine – because now the credibility I gave them is dwindling regardless if it affects their job. A working relationship should be kept as such and not interrupted with outside shenanigans.

Furthermore, personal identity is very valuable and one of the only things you can shape to your liking. Don’t let others make decisions about you based on frivolous postings and private debauchery made public.

Build awareness, not human walls

By Tyler McGinty Reporter

If you’re one of the dedicated people who are going to be holding hands on April 17 as part of Hands Across California, I’m amazed. I applaud you for supporting something you believe in. I also don’t understand you.

To be fair, I’ve never understood the whole idea behind these types of events. If the issue is important, it shouldn’t matter how many people will join hands, how many miles you can run, or whatever else anyone is willing to do to raise money for a cause. It’s all a gimmick. If someone really cares enough about something, they should just donate money.

It just seems like a cheap publicity stunt to raise awareness for a serious issue. Community colleges are an important resource and they are short of money. I just don’t see why it takes a bunch of people holding hands to make people see it. To me, something this arbitrary just cheapens the issue.

The message this sends to me is if you just hold hands, we can fix the issue.

Which it won’t.

What we need is something to be done about it. Education funding should be a higher priority, and I’m offended that it takes some wannabe-

hippies and C-list celebrities holding hands and looking like they’re practicing for the biggest game of Red Rover to bring this issue to light.

How about instead we have a rally in Sacramento? How about we write letters to our state legislature? How about we actually do something instead of just joining hands? I think we could accomplish more with half as many people actively trying to make a change, instead of all of them making a line to show solidarity.

Apparently, Hands Across California can’t even show that much solidarity. Some schools have dropped out, and the proposed route didn’t even go all the way across California. It went about three-fourths of the state, had a little branch off, and was supposed to loop around.

But the loop won’t be completed because some schools dropped out.

The schools that don’t participate still get the money, however.

Which makes even less sense to me.

If participation isn’t required, then it doesn’t matter if they have a million people holding hands or just one.

These schools instead have their own little events like barbecues, or they’ll hold hands with each other.

If you aren’t going to fully participate, you shouldn’t do it. It’s ridicu-

Courtsey of Handsacrossamerica.org

lous for these schools to raise money under the Hands Across California banner without actually trying to join in on this line.

I just don’t get it. If the line actually stretched across California, I’d be a little more understanding.

But it won’t. All it does is take people

who care about the issue away from trying to do something productive. Instead, they’ll be holding hands and probably singing protest songs.

But if MC Hammer sings “Kumbaya” while he stands in line, I take back everything bad I said.

Self-publishing gives hope to struggling artists

By Keith Kaczmarek Reporter

In a down economy with no end (or jobs) in sight, we as students should not expect to find jobs after school ends. This grim news stated, we should be looking to pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps and here is one option: self-publishing.

Back in the day, writers of various sorts had to find a publisher for their work. The potential of your work didn’t mater.

All that mattered was whether you could find someone to believe that what you wanted to publish was commercially viable.

It didn’t matter what it was

that you did. You might be a photographer, graphic artist, magazine writer, poet, novelist, historian, philosopher, game designer ... whatever. The publishers were the gatekeepers and the only way to hop that gate was to start your own publishing company or pay a vanity press to print your work and hope you could somehow get books into bookstores or sell them to the distributors that stock stores.

The good news is that today we live in the Golden Age of the Internet and personal computing. The Kindle, PDFs, and other various avenues have opened up and how. Lulu.com will walk you through the pro-

cess of publishing your work all the way to the point of facilitating the design of a professional-looking cover and real ISBN number.

The market for eBooks of various kinds is not only emerging, but like the Internet itself it takes advantage of the global markets and the niche markets.

I mean, you might think you are the only person who enjoys romance novels with zombie love interests, but I can assure you that there are enough people scattered across the world who share your interests.

The possibilities for getting your stuff out there are actually too numerous to list in this opinion.

But before you assume that this is just the hopeful nonsense of an idealist raised on a steady diet of Internet mythology, this opinion can cite at least one success story: Amanda Hocking. The AP has been running stories the past week about this writer who, at the ripe age of 26, is already a millionaire from selling her supernatural romance novels on outlets like Amazon’s Kindle Store and Barnes & Nobles NOOKbooks at prices ranging from little under a dollar to just under three dollars (she keeps 70%). In under a year, she has already sold enough books to impress the dead wood publishers and secure a four-book deal from a

publisher who had rejected her work years before.

Would you believe that she only started putting her books up in May? The jobs of tomorrow don’t seem to be materializing, and for the creative types who always seem to be habitually unemployed in a bad economy, we must embrace the fact that our elders don’t actually know how to keep the economy working properly or keep people employed. Luckily, we now live in a world that seems designed to break down the old barriers.

I mean, if Facebook can spark a revolution in the Middle East, what can’t the Internet do for you?

“What is ‘Hands Across America’ and the purpose of the organization?”

Editor’s note: ’Gade Feedback is a feature that asks students their opinion on various topics.

Compiled by: The Rip Staff

Felicia Otun, nursing: “Helping others with financial aid, at least in California.”

Trisha Hust, psychology: “Fundraising.”

Cory Groves, animal science: “I’ve never heard of it.”

The Renegade Rip Editorial Board Winner of the 2003 and 2008 JACC Pacesetter Award The Renegade Rip is produced by Bakersfield College journalism classes, printed by Bakersfield Envelope & Printing Co. Inc., and circulated on Wednesdays during the fall and spring semesters.

The newspaper is published under the auspices of the Kern Community College District Board of Trustees, but sole responsibility for its content rests with student editors.

The Rip is a member of the Journalism Association of Community Colleges and the California Newspaper Publishers Association.

Editor in Chief..........................Michael Wafford Opinions Editor..............................Julian Moore Sports Editor......................................Zak S. Cowan Copy Editor ...........................................James Licea Online Editor................................Annie Stockman Features Editor............................Gregory D. Cook

Staff Reporters: Monica Bolger, Martin Chang, Chrystal Fortt, Kevin Foster, Tawny Jamison, Keith Kaczmarek, Tyler McGinty, Mateo M. Melero, Michael Morrow, Esteban Ramirez, Cristal Rodriguez, James Timothy, Amber T. Troupe, Brian N. Willhite, Sandra Ward, Brandon Whited Photographers: Brandon Barraza, Kayla Broadhag, Joseph Cota, Ryan George, Megan Luecke, Nathan Wilson

Adviser.......................................................Danny Edwards

Faiza Mussa, nursing: “To support charities, such as cancer.”

Alice Pyun, communication: “They held hands down the highway at one point.”

Write The Rip

Letters should not exceed 300 words, must be accompanied by a signature and the letter writer’s identity must be verified.

The Rip reserves the right to edit letters, however, writers will be given the opportunity to revise lengthy or unacceptable submissions.

If an organization submits a letter as a group, it must be signed by only one person, either the leader of the organization or the letter writer. Pen names are not allowed and anonymous letters will not be published.

How to reach us

-Address: Bakersfield College, 1801 Panorama Drive, Bakersfield, CA 93305 -Phone: (661) 395-4324 -Web site: www.therip.com -Email: ripmail@bakersfieldcollege.edu

Reviews

Page 7

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

The Renegade Rip www.therip.com

‘Rolling Papers’ offers a great way to relax

By Martin Chang Reporter

With the songs on “Rolling Papers,” Wiz Khalifa has laid down tracks with a dreamy, flowing groove created by smooth, soaring keyboard parts and wellcomposed beats. A groove that sometimes is excellent and lbum inspiring.

T h i s eview groove defines the album and gives the music vision. It lends itself to a consistent sound that is easy to listen to and creates a relaxing mood. I can see listeners putting on this album whenever they need to unwind.

It’s the use of keyboards that makes “Rolling Papers” stand out. Each track is constructed so you really feel the flow of each

A R

Courtesy of Taylorgang.net

melodic phrase played by the keys. These phrases soar in a way that create the dreamy vibe that Khalifa was going for. It’s the bright tone, the simplicity, and the natural flow that gives these parts this feeling.

These leads are helped by the rhythm sections of the songs. The dreamy chords and sounds prop up the songs. Oftentimes these types of effects get in the way of hip-hop songs, but they only help here. Developing a layered effect that really constructs the world that Khalifa wants to create. He was also careful to not let the drums and bass interfere with the mood he was making.

The music has stayed in my mind. When I was not listening to the album, I found these phrases playing in my head, feeling the songs even when I wasn’t listening to the songs, the music flows in and out of my mind and it really stuck with me.

Motivation missing from flick

By Zak S. Cowan Sports Editor

Reporter

M R

sic seems to be the most intense and well-written. When Khalifa is speaking about more then fantasy you can tell his heart is in it and he really excels.

On “Roll Up,” Khalifa talks of a relationship, it’s one of the simplest songs on the album, yet one of its most effective. The song just sounds like joy, and you can feel the love he had for the relationship.

On “Fly Solo,” he talks of spreading your wings after a failed relationship, of being out on your own. It captures the bittersweet feeling of being alone and free.

On “Star of the Show” and “Cameras,” he talks of having a dreams and achieving them.

It’s tracks such as these that are the best on the album. You can tell he has a passion for what he is saying and he made sure every detail of these songs created the emotions that he went through.

Nothing beats hard work for a good wash

By Keith Kaczmarek “Your Highness” is an iconic stoner movie. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but there are enough flaws in that genre that if someone makes an iconic example of that genre you are probably not going to watch this movie again when it comes to video.

Starring Danny McBride and James Franco as princely brothers Thaddeus and Fabious, they play out the classic stoner story with the twist that it happens to be a Lord of the Rings-style fantasy story. One is the fun-loving, unmotivated, and fat stoner prince and the other is a cariovie cature of the noble eview fantasy hero, and their adventure involves a stock evil wizard with a particularly perverse plan for world domination (I won’t spoil it for you).

The humor is sophomoric, but that’s its strong point and for that I give it high marks. There are some comedic boundaries that they cross that I don’t think will ever be crossed again without people inevitably comparing them to “Your Highness.”

I also approve of the mostly senseless nudity that harkens back to the sex comedies of the 1980s when filmmakers were aware that you could sell a weak plot by getting some people naked and they weren’t ashamed to just do that.

The female casting also seemed inspired with the lovely Natalie Portman

The music here provides, for me, an escape. I know when I’m listening to his music, I’m not going to be stressed out or tense.

Those keyboard parts really make me feel like nothing can harm me. I can just put on this album, close my eyes and groove to the music.

Although I feel that the music is strong, there are moments that are stronger then others. Tracks such as “When I’m Gone” and “Black and Yellow” subjects are average Hip-Hop fare. Something that is less interesting. The truly great moments come from when Khalifa goes a little further then the average raps about diamonds and women. These weaker moments are still great because of the music, yet I wish the whole album were as excellent as the standout tracks on the album.

The tracks that go a bit deeper also are the tracks where the mu-

Getting a new vehicle, especially when it’s a major upgrade, can be so fulfilling to one’s soul.

Now finding the right place to keep that vehicle looking its best can be detrimental to one’s soul.

This was the conundrum I was in afruz hru ter finally eview movi n g o n from m y first car, a ’98 Chevy Astro van, to a 2000 GMC Sierra truck.

My new baby badly needed a wash, especially after I took it for a weekend retreat to the Bay Area, during which it was hit by rain during the drive there and by heat and bugs during the drive back.

As I set out to get the best cleanse for my new truck, my first option was one of the many Cruz Thru Express Car Washes around town.

The Cruz Thru was cheap and quick, costing only $5 and only taking about five minutes to go through the machine, but the selfvacuuming was definitely a bother. Although it was good having your own eyes

C R

courtesy of imdb.com

From left: Natalie Portman, Danny McBride and James Franco and the doll-like Zooey Deschanel.

They didn’t get the best lines or the most interesting characters, but it was a pleasure to watch both in a sword and sorcery picture.

My biggest criticism is that not only just this feels like a stoner movie with pointless drug references and scenes of drug use and general antiestablishment themes, but this movie feels like it was made by stoners.

They tend to repeat the same jokes over and over, the plot is simple to the point of absurdity, the non-stoners are all portrayed as humorless and without a clue, and the bar is set so low on the stoner hero that as a viewer you wonder if he has any redeeming qualities at all.

The film misses the essential theme of the stoner picture: the stoner hero gets some motivation (like Seth Rogan’s character in “Knocked Up”) or he averts some personal disaster while having a great time and

making the audience love him with his irreverent ways (Cheech and Chong in “Up in Smoke”). In “Your Highness,” I’m left with the opinion that even while the world was saved, Thaddeus is just going to get killed in the next adventure if his brother isn’t around to do the real fighting, and I’m actually OK with that. I never really liked Thaddeus, and if he meets some ignoble end like being stabbed by a stable boy for being a jerk, I’d be fine with that.

Perhaps I’m over-thinking this movie and the other critics are correct when they assume that this movie would be more fun if the audience were stoned.

Personally, I enjoyed this movie for the 90 minutes I was in the theater and it did get some authentic laughs, but I was having trouble staying awake, and I’m not sure that being stoned would have helped with that issue.

T

watching to make sure every spec of dirt gets sucked up, I would have rather had paid a couple extra bucks for someone else to do it for me as I stood idly to the side.

After the wash there was still residue on places like the side-view mirrors and the rear bumper, and the front bumper still had bugs stuck to it from the trip up north.

Being unsatisfied with the cleanliness of my truck from the Cruz Thru, I decided to go a more expensive destination: The Rainforest ainforest C a r Wa s h eview a n d D e tail.

Located at 7301 White Lane, Rainforest is a 100 percent hand car wash. I decided to go all out and get their best wash, along with an inside detail that included shampooing of the carpet. This all came out to $64.99.

After nearly an hour of waiting, my truck was finally done. The inside looked fantastic and every inch of the dashboard looked brand new. I was, however, unmoved by the result of the outside wash.

The rims still had brake grim on them, there were

R R

soap spots on the top of the cab, and worst yet the bugs were still stuck on the front bumper.

I thought that with all that money that I spent, I would have gotten a fullon rub down of my entire truck, but the worker told me that rims were not included.

The inside looked great; however, there was an odd odor that persisted for about three days after that I can only suspect came from the shampooing.

Unpleased yet again with results, the journey to get my truck looking the best it could persisted.

That’s when Eric entered the picture.

Eric, my girlfriend’s 16-year-old younger brother, thought $10 was a deal for him to detail the entire truck.

After he was finished, not a spot of grime or dirt was left, and fioor nally all the eenager bugs were off the front bumper.

This is the method I am going to use for the near and distant future, and if Eric isn’t up for it, I’m sure I can find another poor teenager to take on the job.

P T

3D is nowhere to be found at 3D Arcade

By James Timothy Reporter

It’s been some years since arcades were a place where people frequented and kids hung out. In the ’80s they were a gathering spot for youth to get away from their parents and drop a few bucks in quarters to rcade try to beat the higheview score in “Pac Man.” But a long time has passed since that was the norm and for today’s arcade to try to make

A R

me. I agreed, and he proceeded to beat me in such a fashion that I felt like a newborn child trying to play with the grown-ups. I backed down in shame to survey the rest of the place.

There were about 30 games in all, but older titles such as “House of the Dead” and “Soulcalibur 3” were ignored largely for the big-screen games and the DDR Machine, on which a teenage boy surged frantically for his friends nodding approval.

I was impressed, but just watching the display of adrenaline almost made me want to lie down.

I left before these kids made me feel any older, with mixed feelings about the place in general.

Kayla Broadhag / The Rip

Patrons practice DDR moves at 3D Arcade on April 11.

It would appear that the owner is trying to draw in customers with a name like 3D Arcade to capitalize on the current 3D craze, and if that is in fact the truth it seems sort of desperate. However, there

are a few interesting gimmicks such as the big screens, and at the very least it’s enough to interest a few kids in ditching school and spending their lunch money there.

“What does the word ‘zerk’ mean?”

Editor’s note: BC Brains is a feature that asks students a question to test their knowledge of all things trivial.

Compiled by: The Rip Staff

proved that there were some differences between this arcade and your run of the mills.

The proprietor sought to draw in clientele with newer games like “Dance Dance Revolution” and various musical games like “Percussion Freaks 7th Mix.” There were a few alwayspopular games like “Tekken 5” and “Marvel Vs. Capcom 2” that stood out thanks to homemade cabinets and 200-inch projection screens.

I strode over to the latter game, having had some experience back in the day on it, and before long, a young guy wearing skinny pants and a hoody came up and asked if he could play

Frank Andrade, computer science: “Either being polite or being a jerk.”

Maria Cotilla, child development/ special ed.: “A clown.”

Vanessa Madina, undeclared: “To freak out.”

Shirley Reeder, child development/ special ed.: “A goofball.”

Robert Lambert, welding: “A ball joint found in cars.”

Correct answer: A stupid person, a jerk. Also a car part.

BC B rains

any sort of profit, they naturally would need to offer something a little different.

Which is why I was intrigued when an editor asked me to go do a piece on the 3D Arcade at the Valley Plaza Mall.

3D Arcade? Well, that sounds interesting. I had some initial speculation on the way a 3D Arcade would operate, such as whether the patron would be handed a pair of glasses on the way in, or if no glasses were required.

I walked in through a small clique of suspicious teenagers, and inside. I scanned the room and on first glance there wasn’t much that popped out to me.

However, a closer look

Spotlight

Page 8

The Renegade Rip www.therip.com

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Central Valley writer shares his life stories

By Brian N. Willhite Reporter

Manuel Munoz, author of the recently released novel “What You See in the Dark,” spoke to audiences at Bakersfield College about his life experiences with the Central Valley, the ideas that led to the creation of his novel and how he got interested in creative writing. The presentation took place in the Norman Levan Center for the Humanities on April 6.

The dark, noir-esque novel set in Bakersfield’s past was influenced by his love of the Central Valley and like his other two books “The Faith Healer of Olive Avenue” and “Zigzagger” – both short story collections – the novel embraces Latino heritage and the culture of the time.

The novel is set in 1959 Bakersfield and it concerns a shoe store clerk named Teresa, who is Mexican, falling in love with the town’s most eligible bachelor, Dan, who is white. The two also experience some racial disapproval from the people in the story. While the story takes place, the movie “Psycho” is being filmed throughout the story.

The novel’s backdrop is fictionally set during the production of the film. Munoz said that he was inspired to learn more information about the film after noticing a highway sign during a scene in the film that read the city of Gorman was near.

“So when I saw that I thought ‘oh my god,’ the Bates Motel, even though the film is not telling you that, the Bates Motel has to be in the Central Valley and the Central Valley is what I have

always written about,” Munoz said.

He said that during his research for the book, he found out that there was a secondary unit that filmed footage of Highway 99 that was used for rear projection shots.

As the only one in his family to graduate from college, Munoz expressed how making the transition from life in the Central Valley to college on the east coast was a big change for him, but ultimately helped him with what he wanted to do and where he wanted to be.

“I went off to Harvard on a full ride. It was a very scary experience to be away from my family and also at such a great distance.

It was clear across the country and I wasn’t going to have the money to come back whenever I wanted to,” Munoz said.

Upon the advice of professors, Munoz pursued his interest in writing and soon began to feel that creative writing may be something he could do professionally.

“When I was [at Harvard] I started taking creative writing classes and sort of discovered and was encouraged that with that little bit of talent that I had going for me that I actually might be really good at this,” he said.

He was further encouraged by his professors to pursue writing professionally and to get his Master’s in Fine Arts so he applied to Cornell University and was accepted.

He then met his mentor Helena Maria Viramontes, a professor of English and author of several Chicano culture titles, whom he credits as being a strong influ-

ence in his life personally and professionally.

During this time, Munoz was at a point in his life where he had not been publicly open about his sexuality and Viramontes showed him that his honesty would translate to his writing and make him a better writer.

“She (Viramontes) turned out to be a person who is very influential in my life. I don’t want to say that Helena encouraged me to ‘come out,’ but she was instrumental in getting me to realize that my work wasn’t going to go anywhere if I didn’t allow myself to be honest about the people I was writing about.

“In other words, by not coming out, and not addressing in fiction things I was feeling in terms of personal conflicts with myself and my family and where I grew up, the stories were not going to be honest. They weren’t going to be painful; they weren’t going to be revelatory. So, out I came,” Munoz said.

Munoz is now committed to writing stories that center on the culture of the Central Valley because of the love he has for where he came from and the want to share those stories with others.

“There’s so many geographies in this big nation of ours that there are places that tend to get forgotten and I think the Central Valley is one of those,” Munoz said.

Currently, Munoz teaches creative writing at the University of Arizona. His two previous titles have garnered him many accolades, including the Whiting Writers’ Award in 2008 and the PEN/O. Henry Award in 2009.

Gregory D. Cook / The Rip

Author Manuel Munoz signs copies of his book, “What You See in the Dark,” after giving a talk in the Norman Levan Center for the Humanities on April 6.

Local Libyan shares his thoughts

By Keith Kaczmarek Reporter

Martin Chang / The Rip

James Russell (left) and Danielle Morin play the alto and baritone saxophones respectively at a Bakersfield College jazz concert in the Indoor Theater on April 1.

Jazz players groove out

By Martin Chang Reporter

Bakersfield College’s Jazz Ensemble played a selection of pieces, including one by BC student James Russell on April 1 in The Outdoor Theater.

Russell, who plays alto saxophone, also had several solos that night.

He has been at BC for five years and has studied music for two-to-three years. He wrote the song “Ain’t No Sleepin,” the only song by a BC student played at the concert.

The song was written in a moment of simple inspiration.

“I just sat down at the piano one day and figured out a riff, and it morphed into what was played today,” said Russell. He describes his piece as “just jazzy, nothing more than that.”

He enjoyed having his piece played live. “It was a blast having it played. It was fun. I never had that experience, to have something that you put so much time and effort to be played for

the public. I’m a composition major so I just wanted to put on a concert.”

He described preparing for the concert as “a lot of hard work getting all those notes in, just practice, practice, practice.”

According to Russell, the difference between jazz and other styles is the improvisation.

“You’re given a key then you blow your [chords] or whatever comes to mind. Jazz is cool like that. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Jazz is a more free art form than classical music, or something like that.”

Russell enjoys this nature of jazz music. “It really lets you say what is inside. You can tell when someone’s up there just to play and when someone has something to say. You can tell.”

Joey Hubbard, a BC student who played vibraphone and marimba that night, has been playing mallets since his freshman year of high school.

He has joined jazz band at BC for the first time, and this is his first time playing a jazz

concert.

He said about this experience, “It was a little nerve-wracking.

It’s a new thing for me, improvising on the fly. It’s very challenging for me. I like notes showing you what to do. It’s a learning process for me. But it’s fun. I really enjoy it.

“There’s a lot of talent in the group. I’m just trying to follow what they do, and it helps me out with the improvising.”

Hubbard said playing the concert was “very exciting.” He called the concert “a little stressful but fun. I’m happy with how it turned out.”

Hubbard enjoys the challenge of playing the marimba and vibraphone. “There’s always more to do with it,” he said.

“You’re always perfecting it.

It’s always fun to play. You can mess around with it every day.”

For Hubbard, his favorite moments of the concert were the “Latin groove” songs.

He said it was “more fun for me, its very up-tempo and intricate.”

For Ben Youssef Mohamed, a student from Libya studying engineering at BC and living with his uncle in Bakersfield, the conflict in Libya is not just a distant war in an unknown country.

His father, mother, and three sisters are still there, and he is afraid to even ask them about events in the area for fear of their phones being tapped by Libyan intelligence agencies, and then his family made the victims of retaliation.

“It’s terrible what Gaddafi is doing,” he said. “I am afraid to even talk to my father. I am afraid that someone will tell someone [else].

“It was normal for me because I was born there.

When I came here, I felt the difference. Back then, I knew I couldn’t talk, but it was OK. How could I even breathe then?”

For him, the events in northern Africa are related.

“I think we always need democracy. Our country had no democracy, but Egypt had a little,” he said when asked about the influence the recent events in Egypt and Tunisia might have had on Libya. He continued, “After what we saw in Egypt and Tunisia, we thought ‘let’s do it.’”

“The U.S., they helped us and made the UN help us. That is a little too late, but a little late is better than none at all, right?”

His main concern is the loss of life the war might bring. “I really want a democracy, and to stop the number of people being killed. We want a better Libya. We don’t want [the government officials] killed. We want justice and a trial.”

He’s not a fan of Gaddafi. “The one good thing he did with his life is that he made us all hate him.”

Losing the war might be his greatest fear. “He’s going to kill us all. Maybe not in the beginning, he won’t do much. After a few months, after everyone turns around, he’s going to do a massacre.”

He is also concerned about poverty in Libya. “In Libya, if you want to be wealthy, you have to do bad business. If you want to buy a home or a car, you have to be a criminal.”

He is also concerned about American’s confusion about Muslims. “There is a lot of thought that the revolution might make us go Al Qaeda, but there are differences between Muslims and them,” he said, shaking his head at the possibility.

He still has hope for his country. “I think of returning to Libya and seeing the new Libya,” he said.

Sports

Page 9

The Renegade Rip www.therip.com

Column

Don’t bet against LA Don’t have a Cow man | The Rip’s Sports Editor picks the next NBA World Champion With the NBA playoffs this weekend, it’s time for me to give you a break and tell you who is going to take the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.

The Los Angeles Lakers will give Phil Jackson his 12th championship as a Zak S. Cowan head coach.

They will get there not for Jackson, but because of Jackson.

If you are planning on putting money down on a team, be sure to not bet against Jackson.

Jackson is known around the league as the “Zen Master,” and I have no doubt he’ll pull his team together and carry them their 18th NBA championship.

With all the talk about the Miami Heat and how they were going to dominate the Lakers, I think one has to denounce their previous opinion after watching the entire season unfold.

I have absolutely no experience playing or coaching basketball, but I have watched countless games and drank countless beers while watching them. Rest assured, I am a pro at this aspect of the sport.

One does not need any more knowledge or experience than that to see that the Lakers are clearly the goliath of the league and that they will take it all for Jackson’s fourth three-peat.

Teams like San Antonio and Oklahoma City will push the Lakers to six games or so, but neither will truly have a chance.

Picking the Lakers’ opponent in the Finals is more of a dilemma.

You have three or four teams that have a chance to win the Eastern Conference to get their chance to take on the two-time defending champions.With Miami, Boston, Chicago and Orlando all battling it out for the Finals berth, the East will be flatout great television.

Miami will not be able to finally get the chemistry they’ve been trying to achieve all year, and LeBron and Wade will both miss game-winning shots.

Orlando just doesn’t have enough outside presence to get past either of those teams, although I wouldn’t be surprised if Dwight Howard again dominated enough to get them to the Finals—but it’s a long shot.

So that leaves Chicago and Boston. Boston will beat Chicago sometime in the tournament, setting up the third time in four years the two most-storied teams in the league will face each other, with the Lakers taking it in five.

As the years move on, with Kobe aging, Phil retiring, and a crucial offseason in 2012, it will be hard to keep championships in the Lakers’ future, but I wouldn’t be surprised if a move was made to assure that they are.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Kids get a chance to shoot with the pros

By Zak S. Cowan Sports Editor

This summer, Bakersfield’s youth will be able to hone their basketball skills with training from professional ball players.

The Basketball Universe Academy is a youth-training program in Bakersfield that was founded by Kyle Shiloh, Dwuan Rice and Richard “Zeek” Andrews in 2008-09.

The program consists of training sessions, a developmental league, and a cheerleading program.

Shiloh graduated from Garces Memorial High School in 2003 before gaining a scholarship to play for the University of Nevada, where he became the winningest player in the school’s history, won four conference championships, and had one Sweet Sixteen appearance in four NCAA tournaments.

Shiloh is using BUA to reach out to young basketball players in the Bakersfield area and help the youth grow in the game of basketball, as well as in life.

“Growing up I didn’t have too many direct role models, only older players who I watched play in high school and played against growing up.

“I would watch them, take bits and pieces from all of their games, and try to put it all together on the court which I believe helped me get to where I am today,” Shiloh said.

“I think I can be a role model to my kids in BUA by sharing my experiences in my career and

as a kid [and] athlete growing up. I never really had anyone to tell me about the things I would encounter as a young athlete going through life, and I think I can do that for these kids.”

Shiloh’s vision for BUA is to eventually expand to more cities around the country, and the organization will add a second location next summer in Reno.

As of right now, Shiloh is focused on Bakersfield and the basketball community in the area.

“My goal right now for [BUA] is to transform the way basketball is viewed in Bakersfield,” he said. “Year after year there is always so much talent in this town, but the problem is that talent never develops to its full potential.

“People are not aware of the hard work that is required on and off the court to get where they want to go as far as athletics. I think I can help change all of this by continuing to build BUA and help develop these youth.”

Shiloh credits his interest in starting a youth-development league to his father, who started one of the first Amateur Athletic Union teams in the Bakersfield area.

“It was because of the years I spent traveling on my father’s team that I was exposed to some of the best AAU teams on the west coast and experienced different academies similar to BUA,” he said.

Of all of Shiloh’s achievements, which include being the

courtesy of kyle shiloh

Kyle Shiloh is the co-founder of Basketball Universe. first of his siblings to earn a college degree, he credits BUA as his biggest.

“Off the court, along with being engaged to my fiance, I would say that [BUA] may be one of my biggest achievements considering that everything I have ever gained in life has come from basketball and now I’m able to help others experience everything I did,” he said.

“BUA is definitely what I

want to do when I retire from basketball, which, at age 26, could be sooner than I would like being overseas.”

The staff of BUA is well rounded in the sport of basketball, with each staff member having played at least at the collegiate level, “and some of them are currently playing professionally in Europe,” Shiloh said. Shiloh is currently playing professionally in France and

will be back in Bakersfield after the season ends in May. “Basketball in France is very physical, very competitive, and is much more popular a sport than people in the [United States] may expect. In the [NBA] they have rules such as defensive three seconds to keep the defense honest and make it more of an offensive scoring league,” Shiloh said of the differences he faces playing overseas. “Basketball in France, as well as most European countries, is all defensive, physical leagues. Those two things together, without a defensive-three-second rule, make it very difficult to score.

This is why many NBA players come to Europe and do not do well.

“The tolerance of production from players is definitely less in France than in the States, which also adds to the pressure.

The French style of play relies more on their physical ability and hard work, rather than in the States where we tend to rely on our God-given talent to play the game.”

The registration deadline for BUA, which allows youth in grades 3-12, is June 13, and the fee is $320 for the developmental league, which comes with advanced training.

Cheerleading registration also comes with training and, “various performance opportunities,” according to their Web site. The fee for registration is also $320.

Play for the developmental league will start on June 27, and go through Aug. 28.

Tennis gears up for championships

By Tyler McGinty Reporter

Bakersfield College’s women’s team ended up tying for third place in their conference this season after losing to Santa Barbara City College and defeating Glendale Community College last week.

Santa Barbara almost entirely defeated BC in the penultimate game of the season on April 5, with BC losing 8-1. The only victory BC took was the singles one match, played by Denisa Hromadkova of BC and Elizabeth Sauer of Santa Barbara.

Hromadkova won the match 6-1, 6-2.

The first match BC played against Santa Barbara earlier in the season, Sauer defeated Hromadkova for the first time, taking away Hromadkova’s perfect record.

“It felt good,” Hromadkova said about defeating Sauer. “I played much better this time.”

“We had other good matches, but they won,” Coach Gene Lundquist said about the Santa Barbara match.

BC ended the season with the match against Glendale on April 7, defeating them 5-4. However, the Glendale team had to default twice due to injuries.

Glendale’s number six singles player had to retire against Jay-

joseph cota / The Rip

Kassandra A. Beadle of BC returns a serve on April 5 in the team’s 1-8 loss to Santa Barbara City College. lene Chan of BC due to injury, and the last match of the game wasn’t played because Phoebe Minette of Glendale sustained an injury during her match against Kassandra Beadle of BC. Hromadkova won her singles match in two sets, coming from behind each time. She won the first set 7-6 after winning the

tiebreak 6-2, and the second set 7-5. This made Hromadkova’s record in the conference 8-2 and 11-2 overall.

This record seeded her as the number two player in the championship tournament for the conference.

Lundquist had said the match against Glendale really came down to the last singles match they played, which was between Beadle and Minette.

“Kassie got beat the first set 6-2, and it wasn’t looking good,” said Lundquist. “Then in the middle of the second set she turned it around, got back to a tiebreak and won that, and then defeated Minette 6-1 in the third [set]. That got us to four all.”

However, BC didn’t even get a chance to play their last match against Glendale. The last match was supposed to be a doubles match, but the Glendale coach had to pull Minette out of the last match, making BC’s fifth and final victory a default.

“You know, we don’t like to win that way, but it worked out,” said Lundquist.

BC ended their season tied for third place with Ventura College, but BC beat Ventura in their last game with them.

“So we consider that we’re third, behind Santa Barbara and Santa Monica,” said Lundquist.

With the season over, the team is practicing for the conference championships where players will compete for individual awards. BC will bring eight

joseph cota / The Rip

Kassandra A. Beadle serves to Santa Barbara College tennis player Meike van Hoogenhuijze on April 5. players to the championships, including the number two seed Hromadkova. These eight players will play eight singles matches and four doubles matches at the championships, which will be held April 15 and 16. If any members enter the quarterfinals of the championships, they will

head to the regional championship on May 4.

Lundquist is looking forward to next season, saying they have a lot of good players already signed up, including four returning players: Hromadkova, Janelle Fivecoat, Beadle, and Sarah Smith.

Sports

Page 10

The Renegade Rip www.therip.com

Column

Baseball legend deserves respect Moore Sports | The Rip’s Opinions Editor and baseball beat writer honors a legend and the date that honors his impact on the sport.

Much like the next fan, I love opening day; it is synonymous with a positive beginning.

As great as that day is, I don’t feel that it takes the pennant when it comes to significant days in baseball.

The only day more important during the season is Jackie Robinson day.

As a Julian Moore young boy growing up in a Giants-run household with deep San Francisco roots, I learned that only one thing was as important as the game itself. And that was a hate for the Dodgers. And I have typically followed that rule with one exception: The 1947-1956 Brooklyn Dodgers.

Growing up I never understood the impact of Jackie Robinson’s career simply because as a child the concept of racism was lost on me. But it didn’t lessen the fact that he was and is my favorite player for the simple fact that he impacted the game of baseball more than any other player.

I was in awe of one person opening the door for not just cultures and people at the time, but for the future of anyone looking to make it to the “bigs.”

Robinson’s impact touched more than baseball, his career opened doors in all sports.

The influence reached the nation that was and is sports.

But to have an entire league come together to celebrate a legend like that is what makes it a special day.

Not many sports in today’s world can say they have a day in their sport that is bigger than a game that spans across centuries.

The first homage to the first ballot Hall of Fame member came in 2004 when Commissioner Bud Selig stated that April 15 would be Jackie Robinson Day throughout the league. It wasn’t until the following year that it was a celebration from season-toseason.

Ken Griffey Jr. added to the tradition in 2007 when he wore Robinson’s number 42 after receiving permission from Robinson’s wife, Rachel, (which was retired throughout baseball) and soon after became a leaguewide celebration.

Whether you agree with teams wearing the iconic number or not, the festivities bring fans and players from all corners of the country together.

Robinson’s career had a significant impact on not only the game of baseball but also the lives of fans and players.

The man who made stealing home plate an accomplishment and not just a thought, was an activist and an ambassador for the future of the game with dreams like seeing African-American managers on the field and in the dugouts.

And that was what he hoped his legacy would become, not just numbers and championships, but giving opportunities to others and most importantly respecting every human being no matter who they are.

It’s like Jackie once said, “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.”

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Rounding the last base to victory

By Michael Morrow Reporter

Winners of four of their last five, Bakersfield College’s softball team is pushing forward to the regional playoffs with an 1814 record overall and 7-3 in the Western State Conference.

The Renegades picked up wins against College of the Canyons 5-0, Glendale 6-1 and 5-4 and Cuesta College 15-2.

“The first three games we won were big conference games because College of the Canyons was ahead of us and Glendale was right behind us, so those were three big games,” said BC head softball coach Sandi Taylor.

“Four-out-of-five, we’re playing pretty good and I feel real confident. We only have 8 games left to play and we’re right where we need to be.”

The loss came when BC played Mt. San Antonio College for the second time this season.

The Renegades lost 10-3 in the first game earlier this season March 26 and 5-0 on April 9.

“The score in the first one, 10-3, sounded bad, but in reality there were a lot of singles. Like 11 singles or something like that they put together. Where as this game, they beat us 5-0, but they didn’t get as many hits and a

couple of hits they got we probably should have been a little more aggressive on,” Taylor said.

“I wasn’t real pleased with the way we swung the bats against them. We didn’t swing with much confidence, although we had a couple chances to score, we just didn’t swing the bats the way we’re capable of against that caliber of a pitcher.”

Taylor mentioned what she learned about her team after the last five games.“What I take away from it is, if we get going and everybody gets on track, and has that belief that we can beat them, then I know we’re right there with them physically. It’s just a matter of stepping over that hurdle and having confidence.”

Up next for the Renegades is a double header at Santa Monica then a home matchup against Citrus College and another double header against L.A. Valley at home. BC then travels to L.A. Mission to finish off the regular season. All six games are WSC matchups, which will determine playoff positioning and seeding.

“I hope they realize that they are capable, I’m sure they’re playing with confidence, so that’s the key. Not playing with over confidence, but being humble enough to know you have to work at it.

But I feel real good about the

megan luecke / The Rip

Cerritos College’s Courtney Priddie slides into third base, and Bakersfield College pitcher Annissa Carendar in the second game of a double-header at BC on April 1. space we’re in,” said Taylor. As for what Taylor plans on telling the team before the push into the playoffs, she mentioned this week of practice and getting

back to basic was important, but just as important is enjoying the game. “All we’re really going to talk about is that it’s now time to sit back, relax and have fun with

all the things that they’ve worked hard to get to. There is nothing going to surprise them, nothing is new, it’s just a matter of being fine tuned and ready to go.”

BC still holds second in conference after four losses

gregory d. cook / The Rip

Cougars’ Juan Perez slides under Bakersfield College’s Enrique Meza’s attempted tag during BC’s loss to College of the Canyons at BC on April 2.

Baseball results for March 29-April 9 March 29 Bakersfield 6, West L.A. 4 Win: Joe Neilson (5-1) Loss: Jonathan Skura (1-3) Save: Taylor Aikenhead (4) Key moment: West L.A. had four errors in the game and prevented the Wildcats from winning the game in the last three innings.

March 31 Canyons 6, Bakersfield 5 F/11

Win: Troy Neiman (5-4) Loss: Taylor Aikenhead (4-1) Key moment: Canyons scored the winning run off an error by second baseman Enrique Meza.

April 2 Canyons 8, Bakersfield 2 Win: Kameron Krise (1-1) Loss: Marcos Reyna (3-2) Key Moment: Canyons scored four runs in the eighth inning

pushing the game out of reach for the Renegades. All of Canyons runs came unearned.

April 5 Bakersfield 8, L.A. Valley 7 Win: Joe Neilson (6-1) Loss: David Armas (1-8) Save: Phillip Valos (3) Key Moment: The Renegades gave up one run in the ninth but didn’t allow the Monarch’s to win.

April 7 L.A. Valley 9, Bakersfield 1 Win: Stephen Odachowski (4-0) Loss: Bryan Maxwell (2-4) Key Moment: Starter pitcher Maxwell gave up seven runs on ten hits in the game.

April 9 Citrus 6, Bakersfield College 0 Win: Richard Perry (6-2) Loss: Marcos Reyna (3-3)

Compiled by julian moore

Key Moment: BC was held scoreless throughout while all six of Citrus’ runs came off starting pitcher Reyna.

BC lost four of its last six with an overall record of 17-12 and is now 9-7 in conference play tied with Glendale College for second place.

Both teams are two games behind current leader Los Angeles Pierce (11-5).

Track and field star shining for BC This year’s track and field team has been all about progression and improvement from meet-to-meet and is closing in on the climax of their season.

“We seem to be improving with every meet,” said ports men’s track field oundup and head coach Dave Frickel. “The men have been improving a lot faster than the women mostly because the lack of depth the women have on the team. The person who far exceeded my expectations was Darien Moore. His continuous improvement from last year to this year has been incredible.”

Darien Moore is fourth in the hammer throw in Southern California and is first in shot put in Southern California.

S R

Swimming Bakersfield College’s swim team has been filled with promise and record-breaking performances.

“I would give this year, so far, a B, because we still need to work on some small things, like focusing better,” said swiming head coach Charlie Pike. “The most impressive swimmer this year has been Brian Collier, who set a school record in the 200-meter, but even more impressive is he will get in any race that I put him.”

“The moments that defined our season are when we were at the Cuesta [invitational]. The girls placed fifth, and that’s when Collier set the record,” said Pike.

Collier broke the meet-record in the 200-meter with a time of 1:56.18.

Men’s golf This golf season started with some promise but recently has been a struggle.

Coach Kalivas said, “this season has been disappointing and inconsistency has been our biggest problem. If I had to give this season a grade it would be a D, D for dumb.”

The struggles continued for the golf team on April 11 when they played a conference meet at Rio Bravo.

BC ended up sixth, out of seven schools.

“Not having a consistent team showing up, it’s hard for us to build any chemistry as a team and that’s a big reason why we haven’t shown up consistently.

With two matches remaining it is important that we try to end on a good note and to qualify.”

gregory d. cook / The Rip

Bakersfield College’s Rufie Fessler tees off on the 13th hole at the Rio Bravo Country Club on April 11.

Men’s tennis Men’s tennis was rained out April 7, and did not play any games. They are tentatively rescheduled to play against Glen-

dale College on April 14. BC had one player, Nik Jacobs, placed in the conference championships, which will be played April 15 and 16 at an undecided location.

Sports

Page 11

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

The Renegade Rip www.therip.com

BC’s golden voice speaks

By Kevin Foster Reporter

For 35 years, athletes have come and gone through Bakersfield College, but Carl Bryan, 65, has stayed as the announcer for the majority of BC sports.

Bryan likes to refer to himself as the “voice of the Renegades.”

After seeing all the sports he has announced, one could see why.

Bryan has announced 156 seasons of Renegade athletics.

The sports include: football, track and field, and basketball just to name a few.

His start came in 1981 when then track coach Bob Covey was about to retire and suggested that Bryan try his hand at some announcing.

Bryan doesn’t seem to want to

stop anytime soon.

“I would do this until I’m 90 if my old age allows it,” Bryan said. “Thank goodness for the new handicap ramps in the baseball and softball fields.”

As if that wasn’t enough, Bryan announces more then just BC athletics.

“I cover all track and field,” Bryan said. “I graduated East High, so I announce their football and basketball games as well.”

Bryan can be seen in Sacramento this summer announcing the Track and Field World Masters.

“I’ll be getting room and food at the event, but I feel like I’m getting paid in the experience to do this,” Bryan said.

He commented about some of the other major events he has

had the privilege of announcing.

His first year announcing softball, he got to announce the State Championship.

Bryan has also announced the last eight cross-country state championships in Fresno. He has announced four national championships in track and field.

With all that announcing, Bryan talked about his pay rate.

“I don’t fill out the papers that Stuebbe gives me, I just write my name and the rest just comes together,” Bryan said. “Hell, I would do this for free if my wife let me.”

After current athletic director Jan Stuebbe retires, Bryan will be on his fourth different athletic director.

Stuebbe talked about Bryan’s

Column

We still need Tiger Open Mike | A column about the everyday happenings in sports.

martin chang / The Rip

Carl Bryan, who has been an announcer for 35 years for BC, announces a softball game on March 28. announcing at the BC sports events.

“We wouldn’t trade Carl for the world, he loves what he does and we are lucky to have him here,” Stuebbe said.

Bryan does much more than announcing.

He currently is a substitute teacher working for the Kern High School District.

“I subbed for an advanced algebra class at Centennial [high school], and those are some of the most well-behaved kids I have taught in high school.”

Cheer team quests for new talent

By Chrystal Fortt Reporter

Once a year, a week before spring break, a group of aspiring cheerleaders hopes to make Bakersfield College’s cheer team for next semester.

This year, there were 28 woman trying out with eight being returning members from last year. The women get less than a week to prepare before the judges critique them.

The first day they learn the traditional BC pom routine, the second day they learn a dance, and the third day they learn three cheers.

Not only do the women need to know how to dance, but also they need to have confidence.

Heather Witcher has been on the cheer team for two years and has taught the cheers and dances to all of the women trying out.

“I keep telling them it’s about confidence, you have to smile, you have to want to be a cheerleader, not ‘I’m so good at this, I’m better than you,’” said Witcher. “You have to smile, that kind of coincides with everything because you have to be loud. In order to be loud, you have to be confident. In order to smile, you have to be confident.

It’s just confidence.”

Witcher explained why the judges would be looking for confidence and smiling.

“If you do a dance and you’re

megan luecke / The Rip

Bakersfield College student Metiqua Eng (center) performs a routine the team has been practicing all week during the cheer-team tryouts in the BC gym April 1. like ‘I’m over it,’ when you’re on the field you just have to keep smiling, you’re out there for almost four hours, it doesn’t matter how tired you are, you just have to keep smiling.”

Returning sophomores know what the judges want. Kylie Weldin said, “I feel confident, just because I’m a returner and

I know what the judges want, so I’m not like a deer in the headlights. Last year I had no idea.”

There are usually women that return from a year before, and to keep the judging fair, there are different judges every year so they don’t know any of the women.

They try to give second chanc-

es to women who they think might have potential but didn’t do as well on their first try.

“Once everybody tries out, [the judges] call people back and if there’s a girl they’re not sure about, if she messed up and they think she can do better, they’ll say, ‘I want to see 7, 12, and 15 again,’” Witcher said.

“They also want to see different girls together in different groups.

If there’s somebody next to you and you’re not comfortable with her, you don’t do as good. If you mix it up a little bit you could do better. It changes the dynamics a little bit.”

Many of the girls waited to be critiqued by the judges. They practiced the dances Witcher taught them. The girls had mixed emotions of nervousness and excitement for the tryouts.

Metiqua Eng was trying out for the first time at BC but has cheered for Cal State Bakersfield.

“I’m a little nervous, but I try not to be nervous. You’ve got to be really confident,” said Eng. “You have to let your ego go through the roof because the more confident you are you’re not even going to think about it if you mess up. You just keep shaking and moving.”

Trying out for the cheer team isn’t just signing up for cheering. It requires more work.

“Being a cheerleader here is like a second job. You have practice for 15 hours a week and then you have volleyball games, basketball games, football games, volunteer work, community service. We have so much to do,” said Witcher. “You have to bring in your transcripts and you have to have a minimum 2.0 [GPA].

If you fall below a 2.0, you get dropped.”

Boxing used to be a big time sport, with names like Muhammad Ali and “Iron” Mike Tyson, while Tiger Woods made huge waves for golf.

But in recent times, both have fallen off the radar. Soccer on the other hand, has never Michael Morrow had that type of draw in America, but is just a few simple steps away. To get these sports back to the top and to put soccer into the forefront, I have the answers.

With the Masters at Augusta passing by and Woods nearly winning, but sputtering late again, a thought crossed my mind.

When is Tiger going to get back to the top and how is it that seven people had a chance at the world’s number one ranking?

Ten of the last 10 major tournament winners have been different players each time, with Woods not being one of them.

Rankings aside, Woods struggles have been well documented.

Seventeen tournaments in 17 months Woods has entered since the unraveling of his life, with no wins to show for them. Woods is working on a new swing with a new coach, which has affected his game.

While Woods struggles, the world waits and watches patiently for Tiger to make a comeback.

I know I can’t wait for the day when Woods passes Jack Nicklaus in major titles won. It’ll be one of those moments in history where everyone looking back will stop and think ‘where was I,’ and ‘what was I doing when Tiger passed Jack.’ The world needs its Tiger.

In a different world, soccer is the bee’s knees, while in America soccer is a bust of a sport.

Major League Soccer was supposed to blow up and become the next major sport in the country.

Apparently, with the addition of players like David Beckham and Thierry Henry and this last World Cup, the American team brought some slim hopes to MLS. Now that Beckham in the United States was a bust, and the buzz about getting a World Cup bid has died down, it’s back to the cellar for MLS. Recently, NFL wide-receiver Chad Ochocinco tried out for Sporting Kansas City. This hype brought some needed attention to the game, but when Ochocinco bows out and heads back to the Cincinnati Bengals, the hype will die.

MLS needs to find players that are bigger, stronger, faster, more physical and more athletic.

Another way to help the game is by setting dimensions that are smaller than they are now. But, with bigger-better players, maybe that doesn’t matter as much.

A newer sport based off of several other fighter sports is Mixed Martial Arts. MMA is just that, mixed fighting styles in combined fashion: boxing, karate, wrestling, etc.

MMA is being blamed for the death of boxing, but in reality, boxing is the death of boxing.

With horrible promoters reaching and grabbing for every penny they can get out of the sport and the commissions running the sport into the ground allowing the promoters to do as they please, no wonder it hasn’t progressed in years.

Right now, boxing has two fighters who are at the top of their game. Floyd “Money” Mayweather and Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao have had their verbal shots at each other, but no physical punches have been thrown.

More than likely, the promoters won’t let it happen until they get the payday their after. The promoters need to be banned from the sport.

The sport needs a sanctioning body; Football has the NFL and basketball has the NBA. In individual sports, tennis has ATP and golf has the PGA. Boxing needs to wake up already, before MMA runs away with the title.

Eyes of the Rip

Page 12

The Renegade Rip www.therip.com

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

16th Annual Scottish Games and Gathering A day of throwing stones, bagpipes and celebration

By Esteban Ramirez Reporter

People go to the Scottish Games to watch the events, shows, listen to music, learn about Scottish heritage and enjoy the atmosphere.

This year’s Scottish Games were on April 2 and was the 16th year they were held at the Kern County Fairgrounds.

They had different types of events and shows like the Caber Toss, Hammer Throw, Haggis Toss, The World’s Tallest Leprechaun, Black Gold Cloggers, George the Giant and many more.

Ted Miller, 72, who went for the first time to the Scottish Games said, “my favorite parts of the day were the sporting events and the music. This is something I want to keep doing, but next time I’ll bring my camera.” He also said, “I really think the Haggis Toss is interesting and I would love to participate in it, but I’m too old for that.”

Other people liked the displays for sale and the atmosphere.

Some have been going to the Scottish Games for a while and like Miller, this was the first year some people attended.

Betty Stewart, a member of the Kern County Scottish Society, said, “our main goal for the Scottish Games is to make people aware that they have Scottish blood in them and to show them the Scottish heritage.”

She said that part of the profits from this event goes to the general account for the Jamison Children Center, which is an emergency shelter for kids that provides a safe, warm and nurturing environment. Stewart said, “the kids also get free entrance to the Scottish Games.”

Stewart said that they don’t have any requirements for people who want to join any of the events, so you can be any nationality to join in on any of the events. Stewart said that she was not Scottish, but married into it.

Stewart said, “my favorite part of the day is all the food, music, venders and events, but it’s all good. All these years I’ve been here I still don’t know how those skinny guys can toss the caber.”

The Kern County Scottish Society had 33 clans this year but Stewart said that her clan is the oldest because it has been a part of it since they started it.

“It’s great to be Scottish,” said Stewart.

Gregory d. cook / The Rip

Miguel del Gallego competes in the Braemar Stone event at the Kern County Scottish Games and Gathering on April 2.

Above: An athlete competing in the heavy athletic events winds up to throw a 22-pound hammer for distance.

Above right: A combined pipe and drum band leads a procession of clans during the opening ceremonies of the gathering.

Right: Reverend Nancy McMasters leads a memorial service for clan members that have passed away over the last year.

Left: Piper Kevin Briley of the group Whiskey Galore performs on the Budwiser Pavilion stage.

Above left: Musician CJ Henderson of Wicked Tinkers plays a didgeridoo. While not traditionally a Scottish instrument, the didgeridoo’s low, rumbling tones blend nicely with other Celtic instruments. photos by Gregory D. Cook / The Rip